Home
by MystiKoorime
Summary: When Hiei and Botan are thrown into an alternate universe, they are forced to rely on each other to get by. As if pretending to be human and assimilating to this strange new life wasn't tough enough, they are dismayed to learn that their counterparts are in a relationship. Playing human is one thing, but pretending to be a couple might just be the death of them. Cover art by L.S.
1. Chapter 1

_Home_

 _When Hiei and Botan are thrown into an alternate universe, they are forced to rely on each other to get by. As if pretending to be human and assimilating to this strange new life wasn't tough enough, they are dismayed to learn that their counterparts are in a relationship. Playing human is one thing, but pretending to be a couple might just be the death of them._

* * *

Botan sat on the stone steps of Genkai's temple, completely content to observe the others on this quiet and peaceful afternoon. Ten years had passed since she met Yusuke and a lot had happened since then. Although precarious missions, dangerous tournaments and near apocalypses were now nothing more than memories of the past, the group made it a point to stay in touch whenever they could. It had been seven years since Yusuke returned from the Demon World and settled down with Keiko. She, Kuwabara and Kurama had all graduated from prestigious colleges and gone on to build their own professional careers, while Yusuke had taken over the main chef duties at the Yukimura restaurant. Shizuru was still working her nine-to-five job at some fancy corporation, Kurama was a successful botanist, Kuwabara was a middle-school teacher and Yukina and Genkai lived a happy and undisturbed life at the temple. She was still busy with her dutie as a ferry-girl, while helping to enforce Koenma's new and improved reign.

So much had changed for all of them, but Botan was grateful for the small and predictable moments like these. Kuwabara was stealing glances at Yukina as she and Shizuru talked on the temple steps. Kurama and Genkai were having a quiet conversation near the pond as he examined the flora growing around the temple. Keiko appeared to be a bit miffed at Yusuke, but after a few smooth words from the ex-detective she seemed to lose her ire, even going as far as cracking a smile at him. Everyone was happy and safe. Things were exactly as they should be.

As she continued her examination of the area, she spotted a black clad figure down the way. Her head tilted in confusion and she found her legs carrying her across the temple grounds in curiosity. Perhaps she shouldn't have wandered away on her own, but she was completely capable of taking care of herself and could easily handle the low level demons that took up residence surrounding Genkai's temple. As she reached the outskirts of the forest, she immediately recognized the figure for who he was. It was the caustic and quiet member of the team: Hiei. His eyes were closed as he leaned against a large tree, dressed in a simple sleeveless navy blue shirt, black pants and black boots. His sword was strapped onto his side and hung from his left hip and the jagan was closed underneath his black bangs.

He remained the same except for one startling fact: he was around eye-level now. He clearly hit some sort of growth spurt in the years that she hadn't seen him. He must have been fairly young by demon world standards when they first met if he was still growing and now all of those moments when Kurama had treated him like a rebellious teenager were starting to make sense. Though, to be fair, Kurama was well over a few thousand years old, so he probably treated everyone like that, but it always seemed to irritate Hiei the most. It was quite comical when she thought about it, she thought in amusement.

Refocusing her attentions on the fire-demon, she wondered what might have brought him out here and whether it was a good idea to invite him to join the rest of the party. It was a special day, after all, and Yukina would be thrilled to see him.

"What are you staring at, woman?" he asked, sharp eyes opening to glare at her accusingly.

Botan stumbled backwards nervously until she was a few feet away from him. The shade afforded by the tree's leaves and branches cast a menacing shadow over his face and his red irises seemed to glow in the darkness. Although she had always considered Hiei to be one of the good guys, she still found herself a little intimidated by his cold and dangerous aura.

"I-I just didn't expect to see you here, Hiei," she explained as she forced on an amicable smile. "It certainly has been a while, hasn't it?"

Crimson eyes met her gaze indifferently, not a single shred of recognition passing through his expression as he raised a black brow. Botan's smile dropped when she realized what was going on.

"It's me," she reminded him as she pointed her index finger at herself. "Botan?"

"…"

His eyes rover over her form with minimal effort and interest and Botan frowned. She was wearing her signature ponytail, she was donned in her usual pink kimono and she had the same energy signal that she did from the moment she came into existence; she hadn't changed at all in the last few years, so there was no reason for him to forget her so easily.

"Oh come now!" she urged, throwing her hands on her hips exasperatedly. "I know we didn't talk much, but you can't honestly tell me that you don't remember threatening me telepathically every time I almost let it slip that you were _you-know-who's_ _you-know-what_!"

The realization finally dawned on him as his features relaxed a bit.

"Hn, the loudmouthed ferry-girl," he stated, shoving a hand into his pocket. "How could I forget."

"Glad you finally managed to remember the little people," she muttered, offended that it had taken him so long to place her in his memories and even more offended that he employed the use of his biting sarcasm to downplay his blunder.

"Don't take it personally," he advised. "I don't make it a habit of remembering most people unless they are important."

"Well, that makes me feel so much better!" she exclaimed hotly.

"Hn, and your sarcasm is lost on me, woman. I don't care enough to become offended."

"So I've noticed."

The two settled into a stiff silence that lasted all of ten seconds before Botan's willpower shattered. Her previous ire tapered off, giving way to curiosity as she glanced over at him.

"…So, what brings you here?"

"That is none of your concern," he dismissed as his eyes shifted to a point behind her.

Botan's mouth fell open in disbelief. She had half a mind to stomp away and leave him to whatever it was that he came for, when she sensed the approach of the rest of the gang.

"Hey, now that's a face I haven't seen in a while!" Yusuke called out with a big grin plastered over his features. Kuwabara and Kurama were trailing after the mazoku, though Kuwabara didn't look too thrilled to see their newest guest.

She pursed her lips shut, deciding not to ruin a perfectly nice afternoon with a petty squabble. Now that the rest of the group was here, perhaps Hiei would be a bit less acidic with her.

"I must admit, I was not expecting to see you today," Kurama mused.

"It wasn't by choice," Hiei answered seriously. "We have a problem."

"Isn't that always the case when the four of us are together?" Yusuke returned cheekily.

Kurama smiled knowingly and Kuwabara's expression lightened as well, mouth curved upwards at the truthful irony of Yusuke's words. Hiei didn't seem to find the humor in the situation, however, as he met their gazes stoically and cut right to the chase.

"This is no time for quips. A renegade from Mukuro's army defected and took a very important tool with him," he revealed.

"What, like her favorite hammer or something?" Yusuke joked.

"No, you simpleton," Hiei replied, eyes narrowed into a glare. "The secrets behind the item are none of your concern, but this was the last area I tracked him down in."

"He must be hiding within the expanses of the forest, then," Kurama supplied, emerald eyes roaming towards the trees and undergrowth ahead of them.

"Figures shorty would bring trouble with him," Kuwabara griped. "And on Yukina's birthday, too."

Botan's eyes widened as a realization dawned on her: if today was Yukina's birthday, then it was also Hiei's as well. Even if he was rude and antisocial, he still deserved to have a nice and enjoyable time, too. Perhaps she could get Yusuke to persuade him to stay for a while - as soon as they took care of this latest threat, of course. It would certainly mean a lot to Yukina, who had considered all of them to be her family. She turned to Yusuke, but was unable to put her plan into action when he communication mirror began to ring.

"Botan here," she answered upon pulling the device out from the folds of her kimono.

 _"We received readings of the runaway demon near your location. I trust Hiei has filled you in on the details?"_ Koenma's voice filtered through the device.

"Yes, sir. But how did you know about this?"

 _"Mukuro contacted me. What should have been a standard retrieval mission has now been elevated to utmost importance. It is imperative that you all reclaim that artifact!"_

She briefly wondered what the story behind this artifact was, especially since Hiei, Mukuro and Koenma were scrambling to find it, but suppressed her curiosity in lieu of following orders.

"Understood. We will get the job done, sir," she guaranteed, before flipping the device closed.

"Sheesh, it's never a dull day around here, is it?" Yusuke asked.

Botan nodded in agreement before looking over at Hiei dutifully.

"Where are we headed?" she inquired.

Yusuke's brows furrowed.

" _We're_ not going anywhere," he interrupted. "The four of us are going to go while you stay behind with the rest of the girls."

"Urameshi's right," Kuwabara agreed, before Botan could get another word in. "I have a bad feeling about this. It could get dangerous."

"Bad feeling or not, Lord Koenma's orders are absolute. I have no choice in the matter," she replied firmly, before folding her arms over her chest. "Besides, you're all forgetting that I can hold my own."

"Says the girl that nearly became spider food on our last mission," Yusuke responded.

"That doesn't count!" Botan protested.

"It sure as hell does!"

Kurama held up a hand to stop them.

"Enough. We cannot afford to waste any further time arguing," he reminded them. "Botan will join us on this mission. Between the five of us, we will have a better chance at succeeding. If the situation proves to be too dangerous, she can flee on her oar."

"Fine," Yusuke relented as he looked back at her. "Just stick close to me."

"Alright, I will," she promised.

Hiei took this opportunity to awaken the jagan. A bright blue light emitted from the purple orb as it focused on locating the demon in question, and soon enough, its job was done.

"He's southeast from here and he isn't alone," Hiei stated.

"We should try to approach the enemy from opposite ends. It would be to our best advantage to cut all points of escape off, especially since we have no clue of the item's properties," Kurama advised tactfully.

"About that, what exactly are we searching for?" Yusuke inquired.

"Yes, I don't believe Hiei's given us any details," Botan added, glancing over at the fire-demon.

Hiei glared at the both of them, but did not say a word.

"That's because Hiei not aware of what the item is or what properties it possesses," Kurama filled in knowingly.

"Heh, guess shorty isn't too high on the chain of command if he doesn't know the important stuff," Kuwabara remarked snidely.

"I have no interest in cataloguing Mukuro's trinkets," Hiei barked. "Unlike others who can afford to slack off and live the rest of their lives in careless abandonment, I have more important things to do."

Kuwabara opened his mouth to retort and the two would have surely exploded into one of their usual spats, but the rest of the girls finally joined them.

"What's going on?" Keiko asked.

"Just your standard retrieval mission. It won't take long at all!" Botan answered cheerily, not wanting to worry them.

"I thought you were done with Spirit World business, Yusuke," Keiko accused, hands on her hips as she stared at the former detective.

"I am through with Spirit World business. I like to think of this as more of a favor to an old friend," he explained, stepping to the side so that Keiko could properly see Hiei.

Her brown eyes widened, apparently only now realizing that the fire-demon was among them. She blinked at him wordlessly, and Botan couldn't really blame the girl. Keiko and Hiei hadn't really exchanged any words in all of their years of knowing each other and it would be a bit hard for them to start now.

Shizuru took a look drag of her cigarette, her countenance calm and discerning as always as she broke the silence.

"I thought I sensed a familiar energy," she began. "I'm guessing you four got yourselves into another mess again?"

"It wasn't us," Kuwabara defended, before cocking a thumb in Hiei's direction. "This time it was all Hiei."

Yukina took a step forward, a smile on her face.

"It's good to see you again, mister Hiei," she greeted softly.

The tension that held Hiei's features in a permanent scowl of irritation and impatience drained away at the sound of his sister's voice. His gaze softened somewhat – the way it always did for Yukina – and he nodded in acknowledgement. He still hadn't told her that he was her brother and the simple exchange between the estranged twins made Botan's heart ache for the both of them. Unfortunately their reunion was cut short as Kurama took an advancing step towards the forest.

"We should get going," he reminded them, always the voice of reason.

"Kurama's right," Botan said. "I'm sorry that we had to do this on your birthday, Yukina."

"There's no need to apologize," she replied understandingly. "Please be careful."

"Your concern and the power of your love will protect us," Kuwabara guaranteed, puffing out his chest for good measure.

Hiei scoffed as he turned away and headed out first.

"I'll be back, my love!" Kuwabara declared valiantly, before following suit.

It was like old times again as she followed closely behind Yusuke. The rest of the boys had split up, intent on following through with Kurama's plan to ambush the demon on all sides. By the time they had found the culprit, he was already engaged in combat with Hiei. And to make matters worse, he had brought friends. Yusuke jumped into the fray, joining Kurama and Kuwabara as they took on their own opponents.

From her vantage point in the sky she could see everything clearly. Hiei was busy fighting a green skinned lizard demon. He was nothing out of the ordinary with his average build, sharp claws and fangs and his scaly, long tail and Botan was sure that Hiei could handle himself. She examined the lizard-demon carefully, frowning when she did not find any place that the enemy could possibly hide an all-powerful artifact. As he dodged Hiei's attacks with a series of acrobatic tricks, she caught sight of a sapphire colored pendant attached to a golden necklace. It seemed odd for a demon of his class to be wearing something so delicate and when it slipped off of his neck and onto the forest floor, she realized that it must have been the item that they were all searching for.

Botan grinned. This was her chance to prove that she wasn't as useless as they had all believed her to be. Without making a sound, she slowly descended to the ground and banished her oar. Once she was sure that no one was paying attention to her, she scooped up the necklace with a triumphant grin.

"So much for being useless," Botan said to herself as she stood up. She took a moment to glance down at the pendant, turning it over in her hand. Though it seemed nothing more than a harmless piece of fine crafted jewelry, she knew that it contained an immeasurable amount of power. She had dealt with all sorts of artifacts in the Spirit World and she wondered what sort of power this unassuming little artifact could have possessed, but she knew that this was neither the time nor the place for contemplation. She moved to make her getaway when the lizard demon suddenly appeared before her.

"Give that back," he ordered as he held out a clawed hand. There was a clear desperation shining in his grey eyes and Botan was momentarily taken aback by it. He was definitely stronger and faster than her, so she was a bit confused as to why he did not just grab the item out of her hand.

"I don't think so. This doesn't belong to you and it's high time that we returned it to its rightful owner," she replied, clutching it tighter in her grip and hoping that her bravado would buy her some time.

He took a threatening step towards her, but then Hiei reappeared in between Botan and the enemy.

"Though she is loud and interfering, the ferry-girl does have a point," Hiei stated, his sword drawn in front of him. "That artifact belongs to Mukuro and you will pay for your greed with your life."

Botan hadn't expected Hiei to come to her aid, but she was grateful for his assistance. She ducked as a green energy blast whizzed right past her, nearly incinerating her.

Hiei turned around to glare at her angrily.

"What are you standing around for?" he growled. "Take the relic and go."

"R-right," she nodded, before quickly summoning her oar and mounting it. She shot up into the air and zoomed away, focused on getting as far away as fast as possible. Botan had nearly cleared the area when her flight was disrupted. She twisted around to see that the blade of her oar had been decimated and she soon began to fly into a tailspin. She was falling far too quickly to right herself and her oar was no longer responding to her spirit energy. She lost her grip on the pendant in the fray and watched as it glinted in the sunlight and fell further and further from her. Both Hiei and the lizard demon spotted it as well, but Botan was confident that Hiei would reach it first. His speed was unmatched, after all. Everything seemed to move in slow motion from there. She screwed her eyes shut as she awaited the painful impact of her fall, but it never came. She let out a gasp when she fell against something much softer and warmer than the cold and unforgiving ground and slowly peeled her eyes opened to meet crimson eyes. Hiei quickly released her and she stood on her own two shaky feet, trying to remain upright despite how lightheaded she felt. It was almost unbelievable that he had chosen to save her instead of reclaiming the artifact. She knew that Hiei did not care about her in the slightest, nor did he particularly concern himself over the state of her wellbeing. But even if it was nothing more than his honor-code and lingering sense of duty to the team that spurred him help her, she was more grateful than he would ever know.

"Never thought I'd see the day that Mukuro's general sacrificed the success of a mission to save the life of a measly ferry-girl," the lizard demon chuckled darkly, twirling the necklace around haphazardly. "Guess there's a first time for everything."

Hiei's jaw clenched as he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter. The fire-demon was going to attack, and Botan found it strange that the enemy had suddenly dropped his guard. She noticed that the pendant was glowing and her brows furrowed upon realizing what that meant.

"I'd step back if I were you two," the lizard demon warned. "I doubt you'd want to go where I'm headed."

The air around them began to shift and Botan's eyes widened. She knew that she had to get away, but she couldn't very well leave Hiei here.

"Hiei, wait!" she urged, taking a step forward in order to pull him back.

But she was too late and Hiei had already lunged towards him the enemy. Her failed attempt to save him brought her directly in the range of the artifact's power and the lizard demon's lips quirked upwards as a blinding light enveloped the three of them. The sheer intensity of it all caused her to close her eyes and cover them beneath her hands. Though she did not feel any pain or discomfort, she could not erase the horrible sense of dread in the pit of her stomach.

Life as she knew it would never be the same.

* * *

Hey guys! I'm back with a brand new H/B story. I don't expect that this will be that long of a fic, but it should be something light and fun for everyone to enjoy. It'll feature both Hiei's and Botan's POV, but, as you can see, I got a little carried away and the whole first chapter became nothing but Botan's POV.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the first installment. I posted it earlier than I originally intended to in order to test the waters and see if this was something you'd all be interested in. Please let me know your thoughts~


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

"Wake up, woman."

A cold voice roused Botan to consciousness and she opened her eyes slowly. The last thing she remembered was the blinding light of the pendant and then it all went blank from there. She pushed herself up into a seated position and glanced around disconcertedly. There was nothing but tall trees around her and the area was dimly lit with minimal sunlight drifting through the branches overhead. She appeared to be in the very same spot within the forest but something was wrong. It was empty and quiet; too quiet, considering it had been the arena for a fierce battle moments ago. She noticed Hiei standing a few feet ahead of her, his back turned to her as he stared straight ahead. The rest of the team was nowhere to be found and the enemies had vanished out of sight as well.

"Hiei?" she called out tentatively as she stood up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he replied curtly.

"Good," she breathed out. "I was afraid that the pendant might do something horrible to us, but it looks as though we're both in the clear."

"Hn."

She dusted herself off, noting how dirty her kimono had gotten in the scuffle before looking back at Hiei. Even though the forest was plunged into darkness with only small streams of sunlight peaking through, she could see him moving around and hear his boots crunching on twigs and dried leaves on the ground.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Searching for a trail that will lead to the traitor. I don't intend to return to Mukuro without him or that pendant."

"I doubt you'll find any tracks or clues here," Botan informed.

Hiei turned to face her, but his expression was obscured by the shadows that played on his face. Even so, she didn't need to see him clearly to know that he was probably glaring at her.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded to know.

"Didn't you hear what he said?" she asked instead.

"I wouldn't be asking you about it if I did," Hiei gritted in response.

"That's right, you were too busy trying to kill him to notice anything else," she recalled with a nod.

A low growl emanated from deep within Hiei's chest, sending a shiver up her spine. While she wasn't afraid of him, she was afraid of what he might do to her when his mood was darkened and the two of them were alone.

"Get on with it, woman," he barked.

"Alright, alright!" she relented. "Before that bright light engulfed us, the demon mentioned something about going someplace. It sounds to me like the pendant was able to open portals or rifts in space and if that's the case, then he and the pendant were transported somewhere without any clues of their whereabouts left behind."

Hiei cursed upon realizing that she was right and Botan frowned sympathetically.

"But all hope isn't lost. We simply have to regroup with the rest of the team and, together, we'll be able to find him before he can enact his dastardly plan!" she encouraged with a winning smile. Her expression faltered a bit as she looked around the empty forest. "I haven't the slightest clue of where they went off to, though. Are you able to sense them at all?"

"I can't sense anything," Hiei admitted gravely, turning to face the other way.

Botan blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she took a step closer to him. There was a conflicted expression painting his features, drawing his dark brows together and narrowing his crimson eyes. From this angle, she could see him more clearly than before and she noticed something peculiar. While she was concerned over his ambiguous words and troubled countenance, it was what she didn't see that concerned her the most. She reached out a hand to brush his black bangs aside curiously and let out tiny gasp when her suspicions were confirmed.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked as he took a step back.

"The jagan," she muttered as she pointed a shaky finger in his direction. "It's gone!"

Hiei brought a hand up to his forehead, eyes widening a fraction when he realized that her claims were indeed true. He then glanced down at his right arm, noting that his ivory skin no longer held the mark of the dragon of the darkness flame, either. His fists balled at his sides as his jaw clenched in anger, but there was no outpouring of demon energy or fiery heat to signal just how angry he really was. He almost seemed… _human_ in that moment. Crimson eyes locked onto hers as a grave look settled over his features.

"Summon your oar," he ordered suddenly.

Botan didn't understand why Hiei was telling her to do such a thing, but she nodded anyway. She extended her arm the way she had done hundreds of times before and waited for her oar to appear. Panic bubbled up from the pit of her stomach when it failed to materialize. Perhaps she was just feeling a bit pressured, so she tried once more, her mouth set in a determined line. Blue brows furrowed in concentration, but no matter how hard she tried, her oar just wouldn't appear.

"I can't," she cried out in disbelief. She dropped her arm at her side as she continued. "I can't summon my oar or my bat. I can't materialize into my spirit form. I-I can't do anything!"

"Calm down."

"How can I possibly do that when we've lost all traces of our demon and spirit energy!" she countered, throwing her hands on her hips. "How are you so calm right now?"

"Because overreacting is a waste of energy that you and I clearly do not have to spare," he rationalized.

Botan took a deep breath, realizing that he was right. She tried to clear her mind and focus her thoughts on something more productive than freaking out. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this, and as soon as she figured it out, they would be able to come up with the proper solution.

"Do you think that the pendant could have zapped us of all our energy?" she asked nervously.

"No, it would not have been able to erase the jagan or the dragon."

"I suppose you're right…" she agreed.

The two settled into a depressing silence, until a thought occurred to her.

"I know!" she said, snapping her fingers. "We simply need to contact Lord Koenma. I'm sure he will have answers!"

Botan quickly pulled out her communication mirror from her oversized sleeve and flipped it open. Even after pressing the power button, the screen remained dreadfully blank. She tried inputting a few more commands, only to realize that her efforts were in vain. It was at full power when Koenma had called her earlier, so either the device had malfunctioned during her fall or whatever had happened to both she and Hiei's abilities affected the device as well.

"It's no use," she announced sadly, shoulders slumped in defeat. "The mirror is unresponsive and I can't reach Koenma without my spirit energy."

Hiei grunted and began to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Botan called out as she fumbled to return the compact to its original position within the layers of her outfit.

"To find the others," he said over his shoulders, not bothering to turn around to address her or stop so that she could catch up.

Botan followed after him, although it was certainly difficult in her form-fitting kimono. After a few minutes of trying to be a good sport, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"Would you please slow down?" she implored. "I can't keep up like this."

To her surprise, Hiei stopped in his tracks and turned around to view her. She was sure that he was going to snap at her and say something insulting and cruel, but instead he only watched her wordlessly.

"What is it?" she asked self-consciously as she rubbed at her cheeks. "Is there something on my face?"

"Why are you following me?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"I said: why are you following me?" he asked again.

"Well, we're both stuck in this situation so we might as well stick together," she reasoned.

"Hn, so you have some survival instincts in you after all."

"No! That's not it. We're friends, aren't we? There's no reason for us to split up."

His gaze narrowed in suspicion.

"We were barely allies before. I'd hardly call us friends now," he said.

"I've always thought of you as a friend," she admitted. "Though, if you forgot me so easily, I guess you never felt the same."

"Friends are a crutch for the weak. I had allies in the spirit detective, the fox and even in the oaf to an extent. You were merely the informant girl."

"Well, that's not a very nice thing to say, Hiei!" she admonished. "I helped out on missions, too. I was even there when we rescued Yukina from that despicable crime lord Tarukane and the Toguro brothers. Maybe if you paid attention to someone other than yourself, you would realize just how significant and important the rest of us are!"

She crossed her arms over her chest tightly, throwing her chin up in the air and turning away from him for good measure. When he did not immediately reply back, she wondered if he had left the area entirely. It wouldn't be uncharacteristic of him to do so, and a wave of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. Even if Hiei was temperamental and mean, she really did not want to be alone right now. She turned around slowly, eyes widening in surprise when she saw that he was still standing there.

"You were scared of me back then," he recalled, looking off into the distance. "And now that a few years have passed, you seemed to have forgotten that fact."

Botan paused. He had so much trouble placing her in his memories when they first reunited, but it seemed as though he remembered her enough now.

"I was afraid of you at first, especially when you issued those death threats whenever you pleased, but that was only initially. I always rooted for you and the others during the tournaments, and I've even wondered about you from time to time, too. I haven't been afraid of you in a very long time."

"You should be," he warned, meeting her gaze again.

"I suppose it's a good thing that you don't have the dragon or jagan, then," she countered in a sing-song voice as she smiled at him good-naturedly.

"Hn. I don't need the jagan or the dragon to dispose of you," he replied.

He turned around and carried on without another word and Botan pulled a face at the back of his head. Although he refrained from saying anything further, he did slow down considerably this time, allowing her to follow him with ease.

That was twice now that he had surprised her. First when he saved her and now that he had allowed her to keep up with him. She couldn't bite back the small smile that found its way onto her face, finding some consolation in the fact that he had chosen to show her a bit of kindness despite his prickly nature.

* * *

Hiei was grateful that the ferry-girl remained silent from the entire trek out of the forest and into civilization. Though he supposed her silence was entirely due to her exhaustion and he spared a glance in her direction to see that she was dragging her feet miserably. Her chest was heaving as she used her sleeve to wipe the beads of perspiration from her forehead, but she did not complain.

He was currently headed towards the site of a portal that would take him back to the demon world. He wasn't sure what he would do with the ferry-girl once he had reached the portal, but it really wasn't his problem. He had saved her earlier today – an action born out of instinct than the actual will to protect – and as far as he was concerned, he had done more than enough for her. He would return to Mukuro and figure out a way to fix this and she would deal with this on her own, with the assistance of the others.

Although it certainly felt as though his abilities had left him, he knew that a mere artifact could not entirely strip him of what he had strived so hard to achieve. Perhaps it was temporary or perhaps it had sealed his power off. In any case, Mukuro was the only one who could reverse things now and that portal was the only way to reach her.

They entered an alleyway and Hiei froze when he saw nothing but empty space and darkness. The swirling mass of energy that he had used to come here was gone and so was his way home. He stalked out of the alleyway and looked around. The streets were lined with shops and people and he hated feeling so powerless and trapped in a world that he had thought he was done with. Though his build and height were the same, his body was definitely leagues weaker and slower and his legs ached due to the length of their travels. The sun beat down on him mercilessly; his body no longer seemed to regulate heat in the same way that it used to. He hated being so weak and powerless.

The woman made a small sound of triumph, pulling him from his thoughts. He glanced over at her to see that her expression completely brightened, purple eyes lit up in excitement and relief as a smile stretched over her pink lips. When he followed her line of sight, he soon realized why.

"Yusuke!" she exclaimed happily as she ran up to him. "I'm so glad we found you!"

Yusuke blinked at her in confusion. The former detective was wearing slacks and a dress shirt; much different from the casual clothes he had been wearing earlier.

"Huh? What's up with the strange get up, are you guys in the middle of some kind of role play?" Yusuke asked with a lewd smirk, eyes bouncing back and forth between the two. "I had a feeling things were kinky in the bedroom with you two, but I had no idea it was to this extent."

"What are you talking about? I always wear this…" Botan explained, looking down at her pink kimono and then looking back at Yusuke. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"...I'm going to work," he deadpanned. "I thought I told you guys that I would be late to the party tonight because the boss called me in to fill out reports. Lucky for you, Hiei, you were let off the hook."

"Oh, did you find a second job to supplement your earnings from the Yukimura restaurant?" Botan asked, completely veering off track. "That's wonderful! It's really great to see you shaping up into such a reliable and hard-working man."

Yusuke frowned in confusion, before shaking his head.

"No. I'm going to my full time job," Yusuke corrected. "As in, the place you two _would_ be if your shitty boss decided to call you in to work on a Saturday?"

"Ah, yes, my job," Botan replied, the idea of work snapping her back on track. "That's right, I need to find Koenma. He can fix everything and I can go back to ferrying souls and Hiei can continue his duties back in Mukuro's territory."

"You lost me," Yusuke admitted. "What are you talking about?"

"Spirit World to Yusuke! You haven't forgotten about the mission we were just on, have you?" Botan replied in exasperation. "Hiei and I were both hit by that strange beam of light and Hiei lost the dragon and I can't summon my oar! The pendant that the pesky demon stole must have done something to us!"

Yusuke's face contorted as it passed through various looks of confusion, before he finally turned towards Hiei.

"What is she talking about?" he asked, cocking a thumb in Botan's direction.

"It's exactly as she says, detective," Hiei answered sternly.

"Did you both hit your heads or something? Beams and demons and dragons? Have you been day drinking and listening to Kuwabara's old Megallica records?"

"Yusuke, please this is serious. This is no time for your jokes," Botan urged, taking a step closer towards him.

"I should be the one saying that to you," he countered. "I don't know what you're trying to get at here."

The ex-detective was being honest; Hiei could tell that much even without his jagan. But there was something different about the man standing before them and the one that he had been on the retrieval mission with. Something that Hiei couldn't place. It was obvious that they would not receive any answers from him, so Hiei decided that it was time to leave.

"Where are you off to now?" Botan called out, trailing after him and leaving a very confused Yusuke behind.

"I'm going to find the only who can give us solid answers," Hiei resolved. If anyone could tell them what was happening, it would be the fox.

They had reached Kurama's house in a matter of minutes and Botan rang the doorbell. Kurama's human mother answered the door, looking surprised to see the two standing on her front steps.

"Hello there, Ms. Shiori," Botan greeted warmly. "We were wondering if Kurama was around?"

"Kurama?"

"Shuichi," Hiei filled in impatiently from Botan's side.

"He should be at home around this time," Shiori supplied.

"Home?" Botan echoed, blinking in confusion.

"Yes, his apartment is in the same complex as yours isn't it? I remember him telling me that he was right across the hall from you both. Unless you two moved out?" Shiori answered.

"Our apartment?" Botan echoed, brows climbing high in her forehead as she repeated Shiori's words.

"Yes, in that beautifully renovated building on block seven," she answered.

Botan turned to Hiei, a concerned frown on her face.

None of this made any sense and Hiei's scowl deepened. Yusuke was behaving as though he knew nothing of demons and the Spirit World, and now Kurama's mother – who Hiei had known to be a sensible woman – was claiming that Kurama lived in the same apartment building as himself and ferry-girl. There was no way Hiei would take up residence in this world. He was not human and he did not belong here. But as he looked down at his right arm and felt the jarring absence of his jagan, he realized that both he and the ferry-girl were stripped of their abilities and their bodies were now no different than any other human's. Things were much worse than he initially assumed.

"Is everything alright?" Shiori asked.

"Oh, yes, just peachy," Botan lied with a forced grin. "We're very sorry for disturbing you. We'll just be on our way."

"You two take care."

"And you as well!" Botan replied, waving at the woman until she closed the door.

As they walked away from Kurama's old residence, the ferry-girl let out a tired sigh.

"This is absolute madness," she moaned. "No one that we've run into has made a lick of sense!"

Hiei only stared back at her evenly, determined to get to the bottom of this.

"Do you know where block seven is?" he asked, ignoring her mini-meltdown.

Botan paused, eyes rolling upward in thought before she nodded.

"I do. I'm quite familiar with this town, after being in it for so long during my days as assistant to the spirit detective."

"Good, then you will lead us there."

"Oh, all right," she conceded. "Hopefully Kurama will have some answers for us. I don't understand why Shiori would think that we lived there. Perhaps Kurama told her that in order to cover up our true identities..."

Hiei wished it were that simple, but he was beginning to see a pattern here that he did not like. He shoved his hands in his pockets and followed Botan through the town until they came across a large complex. Clearly it was not one of the cheaper spots in town and you had to make a certain level of money to afford it. They entered the building at the same time that one of the residents was leaving and he welcomed the rush of cold air that the building's interior afforded. A stranger greeted the two by their first names and that sinking feeling in his gut continued to grow.

"Look at this… Hiei Jaganshi and Botan Himura - Apartment 4C," she read aloud as she pointed to a mailbox that apparently belonged to them. It was lined up amidst a row of others on the wall. "Do you think someone is using our names to rent a spot in this building?"

"Not likely," he replied. The woman really was dull if she had no clue what was going on. His eyes shifted to the side, catching Kurama's human name listed under Apartment 4D. It was just as Shiori had said. They all lived here.

"Oh, there he is!" Botan announced, turning on her heels and waving at him. "Kurama!"

The fox was just about to leave the building, but had stopped and walked over to them with a polite smile.

"Good afternoon."

"I'm so happy to see you!" Botan exclaimed.

Kurama smiled.

"That's kind of you, but we did see each other earlier," he reminded her.

"That's right, but Hiei and I got separated and from you all and when we finally found Yusuke he was acting strange. Then we looked for you at your mother's place, but you apparently moved out, so here we are. It's great that we found you because you're the voice of reason and you always know everything, so you must know the mystery behind why Hiei and I are the way we are now!"

Kurama's smile fell over the course of Botan's long-winded ramble and he appeared to be completely and utterly bewildered. It was a new look on the fox.

"Perhaps it would be best if you started from the beginning," Kurama advised, trying his best to understand what Botan was referring to. "What happened?"

Botan opened her mouth to respond, but Hiei did not have the will or patience to listen to the two of them talk in circles. He crossed his arms over his chest as he interrupted.

"What happened does not matter," Hiei dismissed, staring at Kurama seriously. "I've had a very long day and I don't want any cryptic answers. I'm going to ask you a series of questions and I want you to answer them honestly and straightforwardly."

Kurama gave Botan a questioning look, but the ferry-girl just shrugged in return.

"Who are you?" Hiei asked.

"Shuichi Minamino," he answered. "Although, my close friends call me Kurama."

"What are you?"

"…I don't understand the question."

"What are you?" Hiei asked again.

"A botanist," Kurama answered evenly.

"Now answer those same questions about me," Hiei ordered.

"You're Hiei Jaganshi, one of my oldest friends. You're a detective. Yusuke also works for the same district."

"And her," he ordered, pointing a finger in Botan's general direction.

"Botan Himura," he responded. "She is an office worker in the same building as Shizuru."

Botan gaped at Hiei.

"How is any of this possible?" she asked. "I… and you… we… what is going on?"

"That wasn't the worst of it," Hiei forewarned, dreading what he was about to confirm. "Final question: what is the woman's relation to me?"

Emerald eyes flitted between Hiei and Botan.

"You two are a couple. I believe your three year anniversary is approaching soon," he replied without missing a beat.

A wave of nausea passed over Hiei at the idea of being coupled with the eccentric ferry-girl. Both Yusuke and Shiori had said strange things about him and the woman that he could not shake off as simply small talk. Hearing Kurama confirm it was like a splash of ice cold water, unsettling and unnerving. Botan's mouth was slightly ajar and her eyes wide as she took in the information.

"Now I'd like to know the meaning of all of this," Kurama asked.

"I was only testing your uncanny memory, fox," Hiei retorted stiffly. "That's all."

"May I ask what the strange clothing is for?" Kurama continued.

Hiei looked down at his normal wear and then back at Kurama's formal clothing.

"…Kinky role play," he supplied flatly, recycling the detective's words from earlier.

"That… was something I did not need to know," Kurama answered, looking more disturbed than Hiei had ever seen him in his life.

"Hn," Hiei grunted in response, a little pleased with himself for causing this degree of distress to the usually composed redhead.

"In any case, I should get going. I have a few errands to run before I return for yours and Yukina's joint birthday gathering," Kurama noted.

Hiei's brows furrowed and Kurama shook his head knowingly.

"I know that you hate celebrations, but it was Yukina's idea and you never could say no to your sister," he stated. "Surely spending a little time with friends and family won't kill you."

"It just may, fox," Hiei muttered, trying to process the fact that he was human and that Yukina apparently knew the truth about their relation.

Kurama's lips curved upwards in amusement.

"Some things really never change," he noted as he walked off.

Hiei watched Kurama leave as he tried to process his current situation. When the redhead was out of sight, Botan seemed to reanimate back to life.

"I could've sworn that I heard Kurama say that we're together. Isn't that strange?" she said, laughing to herself nervously.

Hiei shot a flat look in her direction; far be it from him to pull her out of her delusional state of mind. In fact, he would have preferred it if she had gone on living in her delusions and done it far, far away from him. He had already made the move to distance himself from her by heading straight for his apartment and was disappointed when the woman trailed behind him. After a trying ride on the elevator – she had been muttering incoherent phrases to herself the entire time – he made it to the fourth floor.

"Hiei… what in the world is going on?" she asked, completely and utterly befuddled as they exited the elevator.

"I thought that much was obvious: we are in an alternate reality."

"You mean… the pendant was able to transport us all the way here?"

"It seems so."

"I had no idea that Mukuro was in possession of such a powerful item. It's no wonder she kept it a secret from even you."

"Hn."

"But do you think the lizard demon meant to come to this reality? It seems a bit strange for him to want to lose all of his power and abilities."

"The fool probably didn't know how to use it and now he's doomed us here."

"Oh, but this place isn't so bad! We could have been sent to a reality where we're both unhappy and in danger. This one is quite peaceful and calm. In fact, it's almost like our own."

"Except for the fact that my world and your world do not exist here and we are mere humans," Hiei reminded her grimly. "We have no way of returning to where we belong and will likely live out the rest of our feeble human existences in place that we have no understanding of."

"That is an absolutely dismal way of looking at it. It's no wonder why you're always look so troubled if all of your thoughts this depressing," she stated. "In any case, you really should learn to look on the bright side. I'm sure that Yusuke and the others will figure something out."

"Leave it to those clowns to take an entire century to get one job done right."

"We can't think like that. We have to stay positive," Botan urged.

"I'm being realistic."

"So am I. I believe in the others and I know that they will figure out a solution to all of this."

Hiei did not respond, realizing that his words would fall on ignorant ears. They stopped in front of the apartment door labeled 4C and Hiei glared at it as though it personally offended him.

"I guess we're roommates in this alternate world. What a strange twist of events," she mused.

Hiei rolled his eyes at the woman's daftness, before moving to open the door. He frowned when it did not give way, realizing that it was locked.

"Let's see…" Botan said as she bent down to pull a silver key out from under the welcome mat. "Bingo!"

"How did you know that was there?" he asked.

"Intuition," she replied with a wink as she slid the key inside of the lock and turned it. She grinned triumphantly at the sound of the door unlocking and then entered the apartment with an excited bounce in her step.

Hiei, however, refrained from entering. He stood in the threshold of the door, eyes glued to the floor. Everything was all wrong. He was trapped in a human body that was feeble and weak. He lived a mundane and droll human life. He was in a relationship with the ferry-girl. And worst of all, he had no way of returning to his world. Once he took the final step through the door, this reality would become all too real.

"Hiei?" Botan called out. She tilted her head as she tried to catch his gaze and smiled at him encouragingly. "Aren't you coming in?"

This hesitation was unlike him, so he nodded and took the first step inside. A rush of warmth and familiarity hit him as he entered the apartment. He had never belonged anywhere, nor had he stayed in one place long enough to consider it his, but there was something about this place that he couldn't shake.

It felt like his; it felt like home.

* * *

Thank you all _so_ much for the feedback! I can't say how encouraging it is to see a bunch readers (old and new) show interest in this new fic. I'm thrilled that you're all enjoying it so far and I hope to keep this momentum going. Please let me know what you thought of the second chapter as well. :)

Oh, and Happy Holidays to you all! Be safe, stay warm (if you're in cold weather) and have a great time.


	3. Chapter 3

Yusuke brought his arms up to block a weak attack from his opponent, gritting his teeth in frustration. After that blinding flash of light, Hiei, Botan and that slippery lizard demon all seemingly vanished into thin air. He couldn't sense their energy and his gut instinct was screaming at him, warning that something had gone seriously wrong. Deciding not to waste any precious time, he landed a punch with enough force to knock the red-skinned demon unconscious. As he crumpled to the floor, Yusuke raced over to where Kurama and Kuwabara were gathered.

The blue one was squirming around the dirt floor nervously as Kurama's rose whip snaked its way around his body.

"Tell us everything you know and you may just come out of this alive," Kurama commanded. His tone was calm and controlled, but that only served to amplify the severity of his threat. The former spirit fox tightened the green vine around the enemy's body and sharp thorns pierced into hardened blue flesh unforgivingly.

"Alright, alright. I-I'll talk," the demon complied, entire body stiff as he winced in pain.

Kurama's expression remained merciless, emerald eyes staring down at the fallen enemy as he waited for him to continue.

"Hachiro came to me, asking if I wanted to make some quick and easy cash. All I had to do was help him steal a silly little artifact and then help him make his getaway," he explained quickly. "I had no idea we were stealing from Mukuro and I didn't realize that we'd be fighting against you lot. If I knew who we'd be going up against, you can bet your ass that I wouldn't be here."

"Yeah, yeah, our reputation precedes us," Yusuke quipped. "Now how about you start telling us something worthwhile, like what this mystery artifact does or why our friends are missing."

"I couldn't tell you anything even if I wanted to," the demon stated. "That bastard was tightlipped about everything."

"Then I suppose there really is no use in keeping you alive," Kurama concluded.

The rose whip constricted once more and the demon let out a gurgled noise of pain.

"W-wait!" he exclaimed. "Hachiro didn't tell us where he was going or why – but he did mention something about traveling to another dimension. He was desperate to get away and that artifact was the only way to do it."

"Another dimension?" Kuwabara repeated, eyes wide in shock.

"Yes… that's all I know. I swear!" the demon promised.

Kurama looked towards Yusuke and Kuwabara, his mouth twisted into a frown.

"This is rather troubling," he stated worriedly.

"Yes," a new voice said, from behind them. "I was afraid that this might happen."

Yusuke turned around to face the ruler of the Spirit World. He was in his adult form this time around, staring back at them all from eye-level.

"I was hoping that the demon would be apprehended before he could activate the artifact, but it appears that we were too late," Koenma announced regretfully.

"Hey!" Yusuke exclaimed tightly, rounding on the prince. "Maybe if you gave us a heads up and some information, we could've avoided all of this. But as usual you sent us into a mission half-assed and running around like chickens with our heads cut off!"

"I'm not blaming you, Yusuke," Koenma amended. "I'm just saying that I wish things had turned out differently."

"And now Botan and shorty are both gone and we have no way of bringing them back," Kuwabara recounted darkly.

"Botan's gone?" Koenma parroted, brown orbs wide in surprise as he looked around for the bluette.

"She and Hiei were both caught within the artifact's light and when it vanished, they went with it," Kurama informed.

"How could you all let my best ferry-girl get wrapped up in all of this?" Koenma reproached, his voice rising higher in pitch as worry lines creased his forehead.

"I seem to recall a certain pint-sized toddler giving her direct orders to join the mission," Yusuke accused, crossing his arms over his chest.

Koenma faltered a bit, his expression falling into one of obvious regret.

"I meant for her to stay on the sidelines - I didn't think she'd be in any actual danger," he explained. "She wasn't supposed to-"

Kurama took a step forward, always the one to remain calm and clearheaded in situations like these.

"We cannot undo what has already been set into motion and there is no point in doling out blame," he pacified.

Koenma nodded, head bowed in regret.

"Yeah, Kurama's got a point. Besides, at least Botan's got Hiei with her," Yusuke stated. "At least she isn't alone."

"I don't know... who's to say hamster legs won't ditch her the first chance he gets?" Kuwabara muttered through a frown.

"On the contrary, Hiei is loyal above all else," Kurama replied. "We must trust that he will remain with Botan for the time being and that the two will work together to survive."

If they weren't in such a dire situation, Yusuke would have snorted. Hiei and Botan were practically polar opposites and the thought of them working together was laughable. He honestly had no idea how the two of them would fare on their own in a world that was completely foreign to them. Yusuke rubbed a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. He knew he should have left Botan behind. It might have hurt her feelings, but at least she'd be safe and sound where she belonged.

"Hey…" Kuwabara began tentatively, disrupting the tense silence they had all fallen into. "If they're in another reality, doesn't that mean we'll all be there?"

"Our counterparts, yes," Koenma replied.

"So, it's not like they'll be all alone. Maybe our other selves will help them come back!" Kuwabara suggested, his expression lifting into a confident grin.

Koenma shook his head gravely, dispelling any hope that had risen in their hearts.

"I'm afraid that's not the way it works. There are laws that must be maintained for the sake of all of the worlds. Hiei and Botan must not alert anyone to the fact that they are not of that world. The consequences could be catastrophic."

"It'd be kind of hard to keep their identities a secret if they run into their other selves there, wouldn't it?" Yusuke wondered.

"That won't happen," Koenma reassured. "When they crossed over to the other dimension, they created a disruption within that world. There cannot be copies of one person in the same dimension, so the original Hiei and Botan were forced out. In other words, the moment our friends entered, the other two ceased to exist."

"…Are you saying that they just killed their other selves?" Kuwabara asked, his face a shade paler than usual as he tried to stomach the thought.

"Not exactly," Koenma assuaged. "The others were sent to a limbo of sorts, suspended in time until the rift within that world is gone."

"I see," Kurama nodded. "And when Hiei and Botan return to their proper place, the other two will do the same."

"Precisely."

"Alright," Yusuke said, punching his fist into his open palm in determination. "Then all we've gotta do is find them and bring them back."

* * *

Hiei ignored the overwhelmingly nostalgic and misty sentiments that hit him the moment he entered the apartment. He had never been the emotional type and he had no idea where the sudden onslaught of feelings came from, but he decided to disregard them entirely as he closed the door behind him and followed Botan into the living area.

"It's absolutely beautiful," the ferry-girl marveled, clasping her hands together as she stared at the apartment in wonder.

It was clean, spacious and lightly decorated with muted colors and tones, but Hiei did not care much for the state of the place. It wasn't as though he had intended to stay here for long, after all. He made his way towards the only bedroom in the entire flat, needing to confirm Kurama's claims that he and the blue-haired woman were actually a couple in this world.

The first thing he noticed was the single queen-sized bed that was flanked by two matching nightstands. The right side contained clearly feminine items that he could not be bothered to concern himself with while the left side was bare, save for a digital clock and some papers that appeared to belong to him. He peered inside the closet, swallowing thickly when he found both women's and men's clothing packed away and hung up neatly. He then moved to the dresser, wrenching open the first drawer he found with more force than necessary. The contents of the drawer were composed of nothing but women's underwear.

"Hiei… why is there only room?" Botan asked cautiously as she stepped inside. "Could what Kurama have said about us earlier be true?"

"The fox had no reason to lie," Hiei told her, meeting her gaze grimly.

"Then… that means… you and I…" she trailed off, unable to complete her thoughts coherently.

Hiei remained silent as the woman came to grips with the reality that they were in. Her eyes wandered around the room hesitantly, until they landed on the drawer that he had just opened.

"You pervert! How dare you search through my underwear?" she shouted in indignation.

"They aren't yours," he reminded her. "They belong to the other woman."

"Well, she and I are one in the same! So looking through her underwear equates to looking through mine!" Botan reasoned, hands balled into fists at her side a fierce blush highlighted her cheeks.

He supposed she had a point, but he did not concern himself too much with it.

"Honestly, I'd expect this sort of juvenile behavior from Yusuke," she berated as she crossed over to him and shut the drawer closed. "I thought you knew better than to rummage through a lady's unmentionables!"

"I didn't rummage nor am I interested in learning what undergarments you wear under that pink getup."

"Then what were you doing?"

"Confirming Kurama's claims," he explained. "The fact that this was the drawer that I opened was pure coincidence."

"That sounds like something a pervert would say," she said, shooting him an unconvinced look.

"Don't give me that look, woman," Hiei warned. "You aren't my type."

"Yeah, well, you're not exactly prince charming, either."

"Which begs the question of why this world's Hiei has chosen you for a mate," he stated.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm a perfectly decent person," she defended, before turning her nose up in the air. "Clearly your counterpart has impeccable taste."

"Or brain damage," he scoffed.

"That's not very nice, Hiei. I almost wish I can meet the other you just so he can prove you wrong! It's a pity that we can't," she lamented, lips drawn into a pout.

Hiei's brow crinkled in confusion.

"What are you babbling on about?"

"Don't you know how alternate reality travel works?" Botan countered, looking over at him expectantly.

"I wouldn't have asked if I did," he responded tightly.

"Well, I learned a bit about it back during my lessons in the Spirit World. I suppose I should have paid more attention during that class, because most of it is all fuzzy now. The teacher was just so boring and the gossip going around the class was much more exciting and-"

"Get to the point," he bit out, crossing his arms over his chest in a show of impatience.

"Alright, alright, no need to get testy," she soothed. She tapped a finger against her chin as she thought back to her lessons from years ago. "From what I can remember, there can only be one soul per dimension. When we entered into this world, our counterparts were pushed out if it and carried to an empty reality where no time passes. They will remain there until the distortion within this reality is fixed – which will only happen when we are sent back to our world."

"I see."

He had previously wondered if his soul had simply transferred into the body that belonged to this realm, but as he looked down at the faint scar on his hand that he had received during the first Demon Tournament, he realized that this body was his own and that the woman's claims were true.

It seemed as though she was a little more knowledgeable than her ditzy personality led others to believe, but he would never admit that aloud.

"And since this world's Hiei and Botan won't be around for the time being, it would probably best if we stayed here," Botan suggested.

"For once, I agree with you, woman," Hiei approved, his eyes settling towards the bed behind Botan.

Although he did not plan on staying here indefinitely, it wouldn't hurt to use the apartment as a momentary safe haven in order to get some rest. It'd been a tiring day and so much had occurred that it was getting hard to keep up. He thought back to earlier events with a scowl. He had just returned from an extended mission to reclaim more territory for Mukuro when he made the impulsive decision to journey to the human world. It was the day of his birth and memories of the past always haunted his dreams and infiltrated his mind during his waking hours. The need to see Yukina ran a little deeper than usual and rather than employing the use of the jagan, he thought it best to see her with his own two eyes, just to confirm that all was well. As he stood on the outskirts of the old woman's temple and watched her smile along with the usual crowd, the unease in his chest began to ebb away. He had seen more than enough and was more than willing to leave, when Mukuro contacted him about the damned lizard demon and the stolen artifact. It should have been a quick retrieval, but it turned into anything but that. He never expected to end up in an alternate reality with the weakest member of the team and he didn't have the strength to deal with it now. He was tired, low on patience and at his wits end. He needed to get some rest and clear his mind if he intended on getting through another hour without spilling blood.

"Wait a minute," Botan began as she followed his gaze. "There's only one bed. You're not seriously going to take it, are you?"

"Unless you've already forgotten, this is my room," he reminded her.

"It's _our_ room," she shot back. "That means I have just as much of a claim over it as you do. And as a man, you should have some manners and take the couch."

The bed was large enough for the both of them and if she could manage to keep her mouth shut and get some rest, then he would not mind if she took the other side. But it seemed as though the ferry-girl was too uptight and prudish for even that much and he did not have the patience or will to convince her otherwise.

"I intend on staying right here," Hiei asserted firmly. "If you have a problem with the sleeping arrangements, then that is completely on you, woman."

She hesitated, clearly caught between her need for comfort and her silly little morals.

"But you're used to sleeping in trees and all sorts of makeshift beds," Botan pointed out with a frown. "Surely the couch would be a step up?"

"The bed suits me just fine," he declared decisively as he toed off his boots and proceeded to lie down on the soft and plush comforter. He closed his eyes and heard the ferry-girl huff, before storming out of the room and venturing into some other location within the apartment. He trusted that she wouldn't do something stupid like burn the place down while he was sleeping, so he settled in and allowed himself to drift off. The last conscious thought he had was the surprising and unsettling fact that the bed smelled like her.

* * *

Botan plopped down on the couch in a fit of rage. She couldn't remember Hiei being this unbearable. Then again, her encounters with the fire-demon had usually revolved around him threatening her and her fearing for her life. Although he was being stubborn, he hadn't threatened her once. She supposed that was a plus.

A _ping_ pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked to the coffee table in front of her to find that a pink phone emitting a bright light. It must have been hers. She collected it and was shocked to find that her wallpaper was a picture of herself and Hiei. She must have been the one who wanted to take the picture, because he had an adorable little frown on his face and his gaze was averted. She was leaning in very close to him as she smiled at the camera, the happiness on her face unmistakably genuine.

The phone made another strange sound, startling her before she could get too deep into her thoughts. Apparently she had just gotten a text message from Shizuru.

' _Thanks again for letting us have the party at your place on such short notice. We'll be over soon to help decorate.'_

"Party?" Botan echoed out loud, before her eyes widened. Yusuke did mention something about a get together for Yukina and Hiei's birthday. And Kurama did say he would see them later tonight.

"Oh no…" she murmured to herself, jumping up from the couch and heading straight for the bedroom. Hiei was already asleep and if she wasn't in such a rush to speak to him, she would have spared a moment to admire how much more approachable he was while he was unconscious.

"Hiei! Wake up!" she roused, shaking his shoulder.

He cracked a crimson eye open and glared at her irritably.

"We May have a slight problem…" Botan began, before he could even get a word in.

He sat up on the bed, immediately alert and ready for action.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Remember when Yusuke mentioned something about yours and Yukina's birthday party tonight?" Botan recounted.

Hiei's eyes narrowed as she continued.

"It looks like we're having that here," she finished sheepishly.

"No."

"No?"

"They can hold their little gathering elsewhere."

"It's too late to back out now. Shizuru said she'll be over soon to help set things up and the plans have been solidified."

Hiei dragged a hand over his face tiredly and muttered a curse under his breath as she continued on.

"We cannot let the others know that we aren't who they think we are," Botan instructed. "Our personalities can't be that much different than our regular selves. We simply have to be a bit nicer and more affectionate to each other. You know, like a real couple would be."

Hiei's expression twisted into a grimace at the mere thought of it.

"I'm not asking you to kiss me in front of them or anything," Botan said. "Just - I don't know - treat me nicely."

"I don't think that's possible, woman."

"That's true… _nice_ certainly isn't in your vocabulary."

"Hn."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm not really sure how to act either," she tried.

"You will be fine," he reassured tonelessly.

Botan beightened upon hearing those uncharacteristically encouraging words. Was Hiei already getting into character?

"You're overbearing and you nag. If the detective's woman is any indication of how you should be, then you are already a natural," he concluded in that monotonous way of his.

Her expression darkened. She now understood why Kuwabara indulged in so many arguments with the fire-demon. He was brutally honest, rude and seemed to love pointing out what he perceived to be the faults and flaws of others. She wanted nothing more than to summon her oar and teach him a lesson, but she settled for hurling a throw pillow at his face instead. She was sorely disappointed when he swatted her attack away and the pillow landed on the floor.

"Don't test me," he warned. "I may not have my full strength or abilities, but I still have the will to carry out all those threats I issued years ago."

"Why does everything have to end with a death threat with you?" she challenged.

"Because it's effective," he answered coldly, no trace of remorse within his tone or his expression.

Botan frowned disappointedly. She had been sweet and friendly with him at every turn, while he continued to meet her attempts with nothing but vitriolic derision. She thought that after all these years he might be a bit nicer to her, but he continued to treat her like a meaningless stranger. She thought that he had learned to open up and care for others, but unfortunately, he seemed to be the same emotionally stunted man that he was when they first met years ago.

"…You really haven't changed at all, have you?" she asked.

"I haven't and it would do you well to remember that."

Botan held his gaze for a moment longer, before looking away. She suddenly wished that she was back home in the Spirit World and far, far away from him, but she could not afford to mention that in front of Hiei. He would surely see it as weakness and take it as another reason to look down on her.

"I'm going to go shower and get ready for the party," she announced. "You should do the same."

Botan didn't wait for him to respond as she marched into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. She closed the door and let out a long sigh as she leaned against it. Her other self was in love with a coldhearted, cruel man and now she was stuck with him indefinitely. Life just wasn't fair!

She screwed her eyes shut tightly and tried to regain control of her emotions and thoughts with a few deep breaths. When she opened her eyes again, she spotted what had to be Hiei's toothbrush sitting in a ceramic cup beside her own purple one. She seriously considered giving the toilet a good scrubbing with it, before dispelling the childish and petty thought from her mind and moving to unwrap the layers of her kimono.

A warm shower was just what she needed and she let out a contented sigh as the water relaxed her muscles and cleared her mind. The peaceful reprieve didn't last as long as she hoped it would, though. The sight of a tube of body wash clearly intended for a male brought her back to reality and caused a frown to appear on her face. She really couldn't believe that she was living with Hiei, of all souls. She wished that it was anyone else. Kurama would have been kind and understanding. Kuwabara would have been a great sport. And Yusuke would have given her the determination and courage she needed to make it through this ordeal. All Hiei seemed to do was belittle, mock and threaten her. She had hoped that the two of them could stick together and at least be civil about it, but she wasn't so sure about that anymore.

She pushed aside all thoughts of Hiei for the remainder of her shower, intent on soaking up the warm water and enjoying the feeling of being nice and clean, when she realized that she forgot to bring a towel and a change of clothes with her. She really did not want to put on her dirty kimono again after washing off the day's dirt and grime and she groaned in exasperation. The ferry-girl cracked the door open just a sliver and called out Hiei's name experimentally.

No response.

"Hiei?" she said, louder this time, remembering that he did not have his demon hearing to help him. "I forgot to get a towel and a change of clothes. Could you be a dear and…"

Botan trailed off when she noticed a fluffy towel hanging off of the doorknob on the outside of the door. That certainly wasn't there before. She blinked at it for a moment, before remembering that she was dripping wet, cold and naked and the urge to get dried and dressed was all that mattered. Snatching the item from its perch, she closed the door again and proceeded to dry herself off. She then wrapped the towel securely around her body, before opening the door again. This time she was brave enough to peek her head out to see if anyone was there. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized that Hiei was no longer in the bedroom. It was awfully sweet of him to leave a towel for her and make himself scarce so she could get dressed for the party. Perhaps he really wasn't as inconsiderate and rude as he pretended to be, she thought as she moseyed over towards her closet.

She didn't have the opportunity to pay attention to it before, but the closet was massive and filled with all sorts of cute and fashionable outfits. She was smiling ear to ear as she pulled on a pretty pink blouse and some tights, before flopping down onto her bed. It was very comfortable and as she snuggled into the comforter, she found that it smelled like Hiei. She didn't even realize that she knew the fire-demon's distinct scent, but apparently it hadn't left her over the years. He carried an earthy and almost warm and comforting quality, the complete opposite of his icy nature.

It was actually kind of nice, she thought, as she smiled lazily and settled into the bed.

…

…

…

Minutes later Botan jolted awake. She didn't even realize that she had dozed off until a second presence entered the room. She had always been a light napper and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she noticed a half-naked Hiei standing in the middle of the room. Her eyes roamed over his chiseled chest and defined abs, before meeting the towel that hung precariously low on his hips. She immediately brought her hands up to her eyes to shield them from any further indecent exposure.

"You could have asked me to leave the room!" Botan squealed.

"You were sleeping," he answered as though it were no big deal.

"Yes, and I would have gladly woken up to give you some privacy, like you kindly did for me!"

She expected him to respond with some sort of claim that he wasn't being kind or thoughtful by leaving the room when he did, and was wholly surprised by what came out of his mouth instead.

"You're more prudish than I thought," he noted.

She removed her hands from her eyes to peer at him in disbelief.

"I'm _what_?"

"You were always spying on the detective and his woman. I assumed you were a repressed voyeur, so stifled by the rules of your world that you had to get your thrills wherever you could," he recalled. "But I see now that your repression has progressed into puritanical levels."

Amethyst eyes widened in flabbergasted shock as the ferry-girl sputtered to respond.

"I was spying on their romantic moments because I was invested in their well-being as any good friend should be! Not because I was a repressed pervert!" she defended. "And I am not a prude! I simply have some common decency."

He looked as though he either did not hear her or did not care to hear her reply as his hands moved to unravel the towel at his waist. Botan's eyes rounded and she scrambled to get off of the bed and out of the room before Hiei did anything else. Closing the door behind her, she walked into the living room and fanned her reddened cheeks.

Well, at least that was one mystery solved. With a body like that, it's no wonder why the other Botan stuck around for nearly three years.

* * *

Hiei searched through his closet with a frown. All of his clothes were foreign to him. Some were more formal and others were more casual – but one theme rang true: they were all clearly human styles. He spotted a pink shirt and the corner of his lips curled in disgust. While most of his clothing here was composed of bearable colors, he was absolutely sure that _that_ particular abomination must have been the woman's doing. He rifled through the other Hiei's belongings until he found a pair of black sweatpants and a plain white t-shirt. It was comfortable enough and allowed enough room for him to feel unrestricted. He closed the door to the closet and turned around, his eyes inadvertently landing on a picture of himself and the ferry-girl.

He froze as he stared at it. His counterpart had an arm around the woman, and she leaned into his hold with an exuberant smile. It was plainly obvious that the Hiei of this world was contented with the woman in his arms, even if his expression did not show it. He couldn't understand why she appeared to be so happy with him and he found it even harder to wrap his mind around the fact that he felt the same with her. It was so strange.

He supposed it didn't make sense to dwell on it, though. He wouldn't be staying here for much longer. Now that he had rested a bit, he had enough energy to venture out and locate the enemy. He would find him, reclaim the artifact and return home.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Are you decent?" Botan's voice was muffled from the other side.

"See for yourself, woman," he replied.

The door creaked open, before she peeped inside.

"Oh good," Botan breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the room. "The others will be here any moment and I figured-"

"I don't intend on staying around long enough to see anyone else," he cut in.

She tilted her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to find and destroy the bastard that doomed us here."

"Hiei, you can't possibly go against him without your demon energy!" Botan discouraged, throwing her hands on her hips in exasperation.

"I didn't need much strength to dispose of him back then and I won't need much to do it now," he reasoned.

"But he could be anywhere and you have no way of finding him without your jagan!" she pointed out.

His eyes narrowed icily, but she stood her ground.

"You can glare at me all you want but you know I'm right!" she argued. "You can't go jumping into this blindly and I'm not going to go on a wild goose chase with you."

"Of course you aren't," he agreed. " _We_ aren't going anywhere together."

"W-what?"

"You do what you want, woman. It has nothing to do with me. Just as what I'm about to do has nothing to do with you."

Botan paused for a moment, a flash of hurt passing through her eyes.

"You don't mean that do you?" she asked.

Hiei looked away, unwilling to meet that strange emotion in her gaze. She had work that same, pesky expression earlier, right before she left for the shower. She looked as though he had let her down; as though his words were enough to hurt her. He didn't know why, but it made him uneasy.

"Returning home is my only priority," he said instead.

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that with no way of locating the demon or the artifact, no means of transportation and little to no knowledge of this world?" she asked.

Hiei's jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth in silence. The ferry-girl was right. Without his jagan, his search would be fruitless. He hated how useless and how utterly out of his element he was here. He hated that he was trapped with no foreseeable way of escape. He hated it all.

Botan's expression softened as she took a step closer towards him.

"Just relax for a bit," she urged. "You can focus on the mission when you're better equipped to handle it."

"That still doesn't mean that I plan on staying here and playing house, woman," he proclaimed.

"So, you're just going to leave, then?" she pressed with a frown.

"…I have no intentions of remaining here," he replied lowly.

"Why not? It's your place, too. You said so yourself."

"It isn't," he denied with a shake of his head. "Not really."

"The technicalities hardly matter, now do they?" Botan countered. "I don't want to be here either, but this is the safest place for us for now. We should remain here until we have a better plan."

"I have a plan," he reminded her stubbornly.

"Yes, a rather foolish one."

Hiei growled, but the ferry-girl did not show any outward signs of fear. In fact, she looked strangely determined as she stared back at him.

"We have to stick together," she urged.

He opened his mouth to protest, but she continued.

"If I know the others, they're searching for a way to bring us back. And they'll have a better chance of doing that if you and I are in the same place at the same time."

He pressed his lips together in a tight line, knowing fully well that she was right. If they separated, the others would rightfully look for her first. If he strayed away from her, then his chances of returning home could be delayed indefinitely and that was not a risk he was willing to take.

"So, can we please just agree to get along for the time being?" she implored. "I'll stop doing whatever it is that bothers you so much and you'll stop being so abrasive. We can coexist peacefully and happily."

The tension drained from his features as he listened to her softhearted and peacemaking words. He didn't understand why she was so eager for them to be on good terms. He had given her no reason to want to be closer to him, but perhaps she really did see him as more than a member of the team. Perhaps she really did consider him to be a friend, like she had claimed to in the past. It sounded like the sort of misguided notion that an overly emotional ferry-girl would make and it certainly explained why she seemed was sullen over the way he treated her earlier.

Although he had admittedly forgotten who she was upon seeing her at the old woman's temple, the longer he spent with her, the more he began to remember. She had always been around; from the first day he had met Yusuke Urameshi until the day that they parted ways that night at Genkai's temple under the tutelage of The Three Kings. She hadn't changed at all from what he recalled: overly friendly, overly emotional and overly open with her feelings. She was just about the worst hand he could have been dealt in this scenario, but the fact remained: she was his only ally here. She must have known more about the human world than he did and it wouldn't be wise to scare her away before she could fulfill some sort of use.

"Have it your way," he relented. "While we are bound to this world, you may consider me an ally. No harm will come to you from me."

She clapped her hands together and grinned at him triumphantly.

"That's the spirit Hiei!" she commended. "And while we're on the topic of working together, we really should agree upon a game plan."

"What are you talking about?

"Well, the others will arrive soon and we'll need to figure out how we're going to act around them," she reminded him.

He had completely forgotten that everyone else would be under the impression that he was involved with the ferry-girl. If he suddenly stopped caring about the woman, the others would surely find it suspicious and they would pester him about it to no end. Hiei did not know much about dimensional traveling and alternate realities, but he knew that certain laws had to be maintained. He could not compromise his identity and so, he would have to pretend to be in a relationship with the woman at the cost of his pride. There was only one problem with that, though.

"I've never been in a relationship before," he stated plainly.

"Neither have I," she confessed, looking a little more relieved now that it was all laid out in the open. "Which is precisely why we should practice a bit first. It's always better to go into a situation prepared, don't you think?"

He raised a brow as she took a step closer towards him.

"Is this okay?" Botan asked, slipping her hand into his. Her skin was soft and smooth against his calloused palms and the contrast was as great as their many differences.

"It's fine," he lied, despite the strange way his human heart began to race. Although he had done much more than a modest touching of palms, the simple act made him more uncomfortable than he cared to admit.

"And how about this?" she asked, moving so that she had now wrapped her arm around his own.

"Clingy, but I will survive," he dismissed, ignoring the way his entire body felt on edge.

"And how about—"

"I may have never been in a relationship, but that does not mean that I've never been touched by a woman before," he said, untangling himself from her. "I can assure you that I've done far more than this."

"A-alright," she replied, cheeks colored red in embarrassment. "I only wanted to make sure that you were okay with all of this."

Hiei found it extremely difficult to understand why the ferry-girl would even bother to take his personal preferences into account. He certainly did not show any interest in hers.

"Why?"

Botan blinked.

"Huh?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Well… you're not exactly the touchy-feely type and you hate skin-ship," she recalled. "The last thing I'd want to do is make you feel even more uneasy than you already are. I'd feel absolutely horrible if I did."

It was a simple sentiment that was completely characteristic to the ferry-girl's nature and, yet, her words had thrown him for a loop. No one had bothered to treat him this way before and in the off chance that they did – they certainly didn't explain their motives so honestly and openly. She continued to be unnecessarily patient and understanding with him, despite how rude and gruff he had been with her. She had continually given him more consideration than he deserved. If he was capable of feeling guilt over the way he had acted towards her earlier, this is where it would kick in. Fortunately for him, nothing happened except for the pink device in her hand letting out a peculiar noise.

"Shizuru and Keiko will be here any minute," she announced. "Are you ready?"

If the tension in his shoulders was any indication, he certainly wasn't.

* * *

Thanks – as always – for the amazing feedback and interest shown in this fic. You guys are all awesome.

In the next chapter H/B will attempt to get through the night without raising any red flags with the good old gang and the mystery of how their counterparts became a couple in this reality will be revealed. Hope you're all looking forward to it.

See you all in 2017! Be safe and have a Happy New Year! Let's hope 2017 is even better than 2016 was.


	4. Chapter 4

Botan blinked at Hiei, tilting her head in confusion as she pointed over at him.

"You don't plan on wearing that do you?" she asked, scrunching her nose in distaste.

Hiei returned her look with a stubborn frown of his own, crimson eyes narrowing in annoyance. His current outfit was comfortable and it suited him just fine.

"What do you think, woman?" he asked flatly.

"Well, that simply won't do! As the guest of honor, you really should put in a little more effort into your appearance," she advised.

"I don't care about trivial things like that," he answered, his tone dismissive and final.

"Maybe the other Hiei does," Botan reasoned. She didn't wait for him to respond as she walked over to the closet and began rifling through his clothing. "You've got such a nice selection of clothes, too. It would certainly be a shame not to wear them."

Hiei rolled his eyes as the woman continued to scour through the items in the closet. There was little to no point in arguing with her over something so trivial. She knew more about human customs and affairs and he had to trust that she would point him in the proper direction.

"How about this?" Botan asked, pressing a long-sleeved shirt against his chest and examining him closely. Her eyes lit up in approval as she nodded to herself. "Now for some nice pants."

Botan released the hold on his shirt and turned away to continue ransacking his side of the closet. Hiei caught it out of instinct and then stared down at the navy-blue material with a shrug. He had given her more than enough grief for the day and he supposed complying with the dress code was the least he could do. Without any further contemplation, he shirked off his white t-shirt and threw on the one that she insisted he wear. It fit him snuggly and the material was soft and comfortable enough. It wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"It looks great," Botan remarked, turning around to view him just in time. "The v-neck style really suits you."

The pleased way she was staring at him made him feel self-conscious, so settled for crossing his arms over his chest and frowning at her.

"Are you going to continue gaping all day or are you going to finish what you started?" he prompted.

"Oh, that's right," she said, shaking out of her stupor and lifting up a pair of pants. "Any objections to these jeans?"

"It looks itchy and restricting."

"They'll complete the outfit, though," she countered. "You can't very well wear a nice shirt and a pair of sweatpants."

Hiei sighed as he held a hand out. The ferry-girl released a victorious sound of joy before passing it on to him. He did not care much for modesty, but he waited until she skipped out of the room to try on the pants. The material was hard and rough and it was every bit as restrictive as he had originally assumed. If it wasn't for the excited way that Botan had taken an interest in his appearance, he would have thought that the woman was seeking retribution for the way he had treated her earlier by torturing him with her clothing choices. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, freezing as he took in his appearance. Without his abilities and native clothing, he looked nothing like himself.

He turned away from the mirror and exited the bedroom. Botan had apparently been waiting for him, her entire expression lighting up in satisfaction the moment she spotted him. It was entirely strange to see her looking at him in that way, but he catalogued it away as something inconsequential that lacked further contemplation.

"Well, you certainly look like your counterpart now," she commended, settling her hands on his hips confidently.

"Hn."

He was surprised to see her expression waver slightly.

"Now all that's left is for us to get this over with," she stated, pulling at the sleeves of her pink blouse almost apprehensively. "I'm actually a little nervous. I just hope that I don't say anything contrary. I would hate to blow our cover by being thoughtless."

"Your worrying is pointless," he said. "If they really are your so-called friends, then there is nothing for you to be anxious over."

Amethyst eyes rounded as a look of understanding settled over her features.

"I suppose you have a point there. No matter what, they're still our friends. Just being ourselves should be enough…"

While that sort of reasoning may have held true for the ferry-girl, Hiei knew that it would not work for him. Simply being himself was not a course of option for him because falling in love – with the ferry-girl, no less – was extremely out of character to begin with. If he had truly opened himself up to the woman in that way, then the Hiei of this reality was nothing more than another weak human.

A sudden knock at the door pulled him out of his thoughts abruptly.

"Well, it's show time," Botan announced.

His gaze trailed after her as moved to greet their first guests and he steeled himself as the two human women entered the apartment.

"Happy Birthday, Hiei," Shizuru greeted, lugging a few bags with her.

"Happy Birthday!" Keiko piped in, following suit with her own plethora of bags in tow.

Hiei grunted in response.

"Ignore him, he's being grumpy," Botan dismissed as she ushered them inside.

"When isn't he being grumpy?" Shizuru drawled. "Sometimes it still surprises me that you two are actually together."

"Me too," Keiko admitted.

"Me three," Botan agreed, rubbing her temples tiredly.

When both girls stared at her in confusion, the bluette began to laugh nervously.

"I mean, it all just feels like one big, beautiful dream that I don't want to wake up from," she lied through her teeth.

Hiei turned away from the three women and returned to his room, noting that he was still able to hear their conversation from there. He wasn't one to eavesdrop, but since he was the topic of interest, he allowed himself to listen in.

"At least he treats you right," Shizuru acknowledged.

"He does?" Botan asked incredulously. "I-I mean, yes, he does. Stellar guy, that Hiei."

"He might be an even better boyfriend than Yusuke at this point," Keiko joked.

Hiei frowned. He didn't want to hear that he had become some soft shell of himself in this world. It was too degrading.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, he's still standoffish, tightlipped and rude when he wants to be, but you can tell that he cares for you," Keiko finished.

Aside from caring deeply for the ferry-girl, he supposed that it was a good thing that the other Hiei had retained his personality and essence in this reality. Though he didn't appreciate the negative light that the detective's woman had described him in.

"Yeah, and then there's also the fact that he's probably really good in bed," Shizuru teased. "The dark and mysterious types usually are."

"Shizuru!" Botan squawked.

And that was enough of this conversation for him, he decided, as he turned away from the door and busied himself with other things amongst the room. He didn't have the chance to really give the place a look over earlier, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to prepare himself now. He continued his surveyal of the room, surprised that it was not full of bright and obnoxious colors that suited the ferry-girl. Instead, the floors were a rich, dark wood while the rest of the pieces and features of the room were painted in hues of gold, beige and brown.

There was a footstool at the foot of the bed and a desk against the right wall with a human contraption on top of it. Thick curtains covered the windows and there were a few paintings and certificates of some kind hung up on the soft colored walls.

As he began rummaging through his things, he was dismayed to find that there was nothing out of the ordinary. There were no mystic elements in this world, or if there were, this world's Hiei was not aware of it.

Curiosity soon took over and prompted him to wander over to the ferry-girl's side of the bed. On her nightstand stood a photo album, and curiosity prompted him to pick it up and begin flipping through its contents. According to the timestamps at the bottom of the photos, they had all known each other for as long as they did in his world. Close to ten years. Although, according to Kurama, he and the woman had been together for just under three.

Inside of her drawer was what appeared to be a journal. He hesitated as he stared down at it. Surely the woman had written many things in there, and he was certain that he would be a subject of interest. Before he had a chance to go through it, Botan burst into the room.

"Good news!" she announced as she closed the door behind her. "I was able to wrangle some important information from the girls."

Hiei shut the drawer closed as Botan joined him on the bed, sitting much too close to him for comfort.

"You and Yusuke are detectives and Koenma is the head honcho. Keiko and Kuwabara are professors at the same university, Yukina is a nurse and Shizuru and I work at the same company. We've all known each other for a long time and from what I can tell, the group dynamics are still the same. Kuwabara and Yukina are a couple, though, and apparently, you still get angry at the thought of it," she recounted quickly.

"You learned all of that from a simple conversation?" he asked.

"Girl chat is very serious business, Hiei," she told him with a smirk.

"Hn."

If they all still had the same relational dynamics that they did in his world, then he had to wonder how he and the woman ended up together. He had never thought of her in that way before. In fact, he had disregarded her more often than not, despite her frequent presence among the team. It was a mystery as to how they were able to come to this point.

"Are you listening?" she asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

"What?" he bit out.

"I was saying that everyone else will be here soon. Are you ready?"

He wasn't ready – not in the slightest – but he was no coward and he would face this challenge head on. He rose from the bed and prepared himself for what was to come.

"We can't stray too far from the behaviors and characteristics of this world's Hiei and Botan," Botan reminded him seriously. "And we absolutely cannot alert them to the fact that there are other realities out there; the results could be disastrous."

He nodded.

"I'm well aware, woman."

"Good, now don't forget to be hopelessly in love with me when we we're in the midst of the others."

"What?"

She winked at him teasingly.

"Just making sure that you were listening."

Hiei pursed his lips into a thin line. They were in the worst scenario imaginable and this was no time for joking.

"Come on!" she giggled, hooking her arm with his and pulling him towards the door. He could have struggled if he wanted to, but he allowed her to lead him out into the living room instead. The place was already decorated with all sorts of human things that Hiei couldn't care less about and the rest of the group had arrived during his absence.

"Happy Birthday brother," Yukina was the first to greet him.

Hiei froze as panic seized his heart. Yukina was still blissfully unaware of their relation in his world and he was not equipped to have the Yukina of this world addressing him with the knowledge that they were related. His mouth ran dry as he stared back at her.

"Brother?" she asked, taking a step closer to him. Her brows creased slightly as she looked him over. "Are you alright?"

"Hiei's just been feeling a bit under the weather is all," Botan announced from his side.

"He does look a little pale," Yukina said concernedly.

"Come on, _honey_ , let's get you some water," Botan suggested, pulling him over to the kitchen.

He followed her lead him numbly, thankful that they were sectioned off from everyone else.

"You've got to snap out of it," Botan whispered as she passed a water bottle into his hand. "Yukina will start to worry, if she hasn't started doing that already."

He blinked slowly as the realization settled within him.

"…She knows who I am."

Botan's features twisted into a frown as sympathy swam throughout her candy-colored eyes.

"I can't begin to imagine how difficult this must be for you, but you've got to keep it together." She placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look over at her and focus on what she was saying. "I know that you have your reasons for keeping your identity a secret, but if you start acting strange around Yukina, then she will think that something is wrong. You don't have to do anything out of the ordinary, just indulge her in a little conversation and spend some time with her. Who knows, maybe you'll see that you two actually have a lot in common."

He seriously doubted that, but the woman was right. He could not afford to give anyone any inkling that he did not belong in this world and so he simply nodded in response. He certainly did not expect the flighty ferry-girl to be the one to ground him and, although they had both decided that they could not alert the others to their true origins, he had a feeling that Botan's reasoning for helping him ran much deeper than maintaining the balance between the worlds.

"Now, let's go back to the others," she encouraged softly.

He remained where he was, staring at her skeptically.

"What is it?" Botan asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Why do you insist on helping me so?" he asked.

Botan stared back at him as though the answer was plainly obvious.

"…Because we're friends, silly!"

"We aren't friends."

Strangely enough, the corner of her mouth quirked upwards as though she knew some secret that he wasn't privy to.

"Maybe one day we will be."

She left him to his thoughts after that. This world was strange, as was the woman. Kurama and the others had better be figuring a way to return them to their world, because Hiei was not sure how much longer he could stand to remain in this one.

Hiei finished the contents of the bottle and then looked around kitchen. He had no idea where anything was, so he left the empty plastic bottle on the countertop. When he returned to the living room, Yukina caught his gaze almost immediately.

"Are you okay?" she asked, approaching him with worry in her ruby eyes.

"I'm fine," he answered.

"I know that we promised to spend our birthday together, but there's no reason to force yourself if you're not well," she chided lightly, resting a hand on his arm.

He had to stop himself from shirking away from her touch as he shook his head.

"I'm fine, Yukina," he asserted. Her name was completely foreign on his tongue, as if it didn't belong there. "You needn't be concerned over something so trivial."

"If you say so," she relented with a smile. They both turned to face the others, who were seated around a dining table. Yusuke and Kuwabara were seeing who could fit more chips into their mouth as Botan cheered them on. The other two women looked on in disgust, while Kurama viewed the spectacle with mild amusement.

Hiei scoffed at the uncouth display.

"I know that you hate social gatherings, but I'm glad that we can be together on our birthday. We missed so many, after all," Yukina stated suddenly, ruby eyes still resting on the others fondly.

He listened silently, not really understanding how that had happened in this world.

"And I know that we agreed not to get each other presents, but I couldn't help it," Yukina continued as she turned back to face him. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small box before he even had the chance to protest. "I got the chain reinforced and had the jewelers clean and shine it."

Hiei's eyes widened as he spotted the hiruiseki stone within the confines of the box.

"How did you…" he trailed off.

"I asked Botan if she could get it for me without you noticing," Yukina said, somewhat guiltily. "She was the one who mentioned that your chain was wearing out in the first place. She even gave me the directions to the jeweler who fixed it up."

He looked over the woman who was too busy laughing at Kuwabara and Yusuke to see the surprise in his eyes. Even though she wasn't the one who had done it directly, her counterpart had and the fact that she understood what the stone meant to him was a testament of just how close they were in this world. He accepted the gem, noting that even in this world, his was still a bit damaged. It shone brilliantly, though, and he did not know what to do with the knowledge that both his sister and the woman had bothered to care for it.

"You didn't have to do this," he said lowly as he pocketed the item.

"I wanted to," she replied simply.

He nodded in understanding, his throat tight with an emotion that he could not express.

"Let's join the others, shall we?" she suggested.

That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he complied for his sister's sake. Kuwabara was the first to notice his approach, swallowing down the contents of his snack before grinning at Yukina. His charcoal gaze rested on Hiei next and Hiei stared back at him wordlessly, waiting for the fool to say something.

"Oh hey, you're finally wearing what I got you for Christmas last year!" Kuwabara announced.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked agitatedly.

"Last year's Secret Santa?" Kuwabara reminded him. "I picked your name out of the hat, so I had to get you Christmas present. You've never worn the shirt or the jeans until now, you punk."

Hiei had no idea what this 'Secret Santa' was, but if what the oaf was saying was true, then he was the one that gifted Hiei with the clothes he was currently wearing. He glared at Botan and she shrunk away nervously. Of all of the items in the closet, she had to choose these.

"It was bad enough that Kazuma pulled Hiei's name… but the fact that Hiei also pulled Kazuma's was priceless," Shizuru stated amusedly.

"I think it was rather fitting," Kurama added.

"And I think it was freakin' hilarious," Yusuke snickered.

Yukina giggled into her hand.

"Kazuma takes the art of gift-giving very seriously and he wanted to be sure that he would get you something you would use," she revealed, smiling over at Hiei. "It's a good thing he asked Botan to help him."

Botan grinned in satisfaction, posture straightening with pride.

"Well, I do have great taste," she said cheerily.

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of… are we going to keep up the tradition this year?" Keiko questioned. "Christmas is in a few short months after all."

"I don't see why not. It's a lot easier getting gifts for one person as opposed to eight," Shizuru decided.

"Oh, but then the pressure is really on to get the best thing for your recipient!" Botan lamented, as though she expected to be here until then.

"You've got nothing to worry about, Botan. Shorty's the one we need to watch out for," Kuwabara complained. "He gave me a pair of the ugliest socks I'd ever seen!"

They all laughed at that, while Hiei remained impassive.

"You say they were the ugliest, but you still wore them!" Yusuke pointed out.

"I didn't want to be rude! I understand and respect the holiday spirit, unlike some other people," Kuwabara grumbled.

"You understand and respect it a little too much, considering you got drunk off of eggnog last time," Shizuru reminded him.

"That wasn't my fault!" Kuwabara defended. "Chuu was the one who spiked it!"

Another round of laughter filled the air at the oaf's expense and Hiei frowned in thought. Despite the obvious differences between this world and his own, the similarities within the group's relations and their shared experiences was startling. Hiei distinctly remembered the strange event he had gotten roped into attending at the old woman's temple about a year ago. And, if he recalled correctly, the clown did intake too much of one of the festive beverages and blamed Chuu afterwards.

If certain things played out the same in both worlds and they knew the same groups of people, then perhaps he would be able to encounter the lizard demon from his world. Perhaps this Hiei already knew him and came into contact with him regularly. If that held true, then the chances of Hiei finding him and returning home were greater than he had originally assumed. It was an unusually optimistic thought, but it was all he had for the time being.

* * *

Botan was having a marvelous time. It almost seemed like a normal day back home, except there were no threats to the safety of their world, no serious battles that needed fighting and no danger reigning upon them. It was nice to enjoy an evening with friends knowing that the world was safe and there was no new villain waiting in the wings. She leaned against the wall in with a contented smile as she watched Yukina make her way over to Hiei on the couch.

The fire-demon was surely getting more than he bargained for and she knew that it was hard on him, but she hoped that he would learn to appreciate the small bit of peace and friendship that this world provided. The conflicted and confused way he looked at her when he asked her why she bothered to care about his preferences and why she bothered to help him at all was something that she could not erase. It was almost as if he could not fathom the thought of someone affording him the slightest bit of consideration and it made her heart ache for him. She knew all about his tragic past and the fact that, even now, he was still a stranger to things like kindness and compassion was a disheartening thought.

"Everything okay with you?" Yusuke asked, as he sidled up to her.

"Huh?" Botan asked, pulling her gaze away from the siblings to look over at Yusuke.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you were acting like a lunatic earlier," he said, staring down at her with a raised brow.

"Oh, that..." she laughed nervously. "Yes, that was just a little game Hiei and I were playing."

"A game?" he repeated inquisitively.

"Yes, a meaningless little game. Nothing for you to concern yourself with," she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"I knew you guys were into that kinky shit!" Yusuke exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Yusuke!" Keiko shouted, glowering at him with a warning look in her eyes.

Yusuke held his hands up apologetically while Keiko rounded on him and Botan took the opportunity to make herself scarce. As she backed away from the seething woman and the repentant man, she inadvertently bumped into Kurama.

"Sorry about that," she apologized quickly.

"Don't worry about it."

The two stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before Botan broke the silence.

"So... uh, how have you been?" she asked conversationally.

"Things are going well," Kurama replied with a small smile. "Maya returns from her trip tomorrow. I've decided to take your advice and tell her how I feel."

 _Maya?_ Botan could not recall anyone with that name, but she supposed it didn't matter. What did matter was the fact that Kurama had found himself a nice girl to settle down with! He was such a great guy and he truly deserved all of the happiness he could get.

"Well, that's great!" she rejoiced, clapping her hands together. "I'm really glad for you."

"I knew you would be and that is why you are the first I have told," he revealed.

"Really?" she blinked.

"You have always shown an interest in our relationship and I figured I owed it to you to tell you first. However, I would like to keep this between us until all is sorted out," he confided.

"But you know how terrible I am at keeping secrets!" she began anxiously.

Kurama did not seem worried in the slightest bit.

"I trust you with this one."

Botan nodded in response, touched by the amount of trust that he was putting in her.

"Then I simply cannot disappoint you. Your secret is safe with me," she promised with a mock salute.

Kurama smiled knowingly and Botan's grin widened. Their moment was cut short by a raucous shout from Yusuke.

"Hey, foxboy, get over here!" Yusuke called out, motioning for Kurama to join himself, Kuwabara and Hiei in the kitchen.

She was a bit surprised at how fast he had gotten away from Keiko's wrath, but Yusuke always had a knack for getting himself out of stick situations.

"If you'll excuse me…" he trailed off politely.

Botan nodded, watching him walk away before she turned on her heels and spotted the girls. She joined them near the couches, taking a seat besides Yukina.

"What's up girls?" she asked.

"Man troubles," Keiko announced.

"Oh dear. What has Yusuke done this time?" Botan inquired.

"Oh, it's actually not me for once. Shizuru's the one with the issues," Keiko divulged. "You know, the usual story with her and Sakyo."

Botan's mouth fell open. Now that was a blast from the past. He was that handsome owner of Team Toguro that Shizuru was pining over during the Dark Tournament. Perhaps they had a second chance in this world. Botan surely hoped so. She leaned in closer, intent on hearing the juicy details.

"So… what's going on with him?" she asked.

"He's the same as ever. Frustratingly beautiful and complex," Shizuru sighed.

"Well, if anyone can handle him, it's you," Botan cheered. "Isn't that right, girls?"

Yukina and Keiko nodded their agreement.

"Thanks. Just don't try to pull any matchmaking games at work," Shizuru warned.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Botan asked confusedly.

"It's bad enough that he's my boss, Botan. We don't need any rumors starting in the office," Shizuru replied.

She blinked slowly, processing all of this information. If she and Shizuru worked at some fancy corporation, it only made sense that Sakyo would be there. The fact that he was her boss made for all sorts of interesting scenarios in Botan's romance addled mind.

"O-of course," Botan said slowly, before forcing an innocuous grin on her face. "I'll just let cupid work his magic. I'll allow the fates run their course. You won't get any interference out of me. Nope, not a bit."

"That sounded way too forced to be convincing," Keiko pointed out.

"Oh poo." Botan deflated. They always saw right through her.

"Anyway…" Shizuru said, moving the conversation away from her. "Everything okay with you and Mr. Broody?"

"What do you mean?" Botan asked, glancing over to view Hiei, before setting her sights back on Shizuru.

"You two have been apart the entire evening," Shizuru observed. "Keiko noticed it too."

"Uh, well, we were together for the entire day. I didn't want to seem too clingy," Botan supplied.

"I don't think my brother would mind at all," Yukina stated.

Botan's eyes widened, mind racing at the knowledge that this world's Hiei did not mind her constant presence. It was a strange thought to wrap her mind around.

"I think he just likes to know that you're safe. Even thought three years have passed, it still bugs him," Keiko said.

"…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up," she said quickly, looking down at her lap.

"No, please… it's healthy to talk about these things…" Botan tried, hoping to squeeze some information out of the brunette.

"I was just saying that the whole case was hard on him," Keiko resumed. "The fact that you were in danger and he almost lost you nearly broke him. I don't think he ever really recovered from that, which is why he prefers it when you're close to him."

So there was some sort of incident where she was in danger. Hiei was there and he must have protected her. She needed to know more, though; she wanted to hear the full story.

"...It's still hard to believe that I was targeted…" Botan said, fishing for information.

"Stalkers appear from anywhere. There's no saying what triggers them or why they think the way they do, but we were all shocked when we learned that you had one," Shizuru stated.

"Yusuke tried so hard to be the detective handling your case, but Koenma wouldn't allow it. He said Yusuke was too involved; it would be too personal for him. The only one with the skills and the mental ability to guard you back then was Hiei," Keiko remembered.

"Because Hiei and I were barely friends…" Botan filled in, as the whole picture suddenly became a little clearer. "He would be more clear-minded and objective."

Shizuru nodded.

"Though, towards the end of the case he had fallen hard for you and even he was acting on pure rage and protectiveness," the elder Kuwabara sibling recalled.

So that's what brought them together. She looked over at Hiei with wide eyes. Kuwabara and Yusuke were currently heckling him, and his glare darkened when Kurama decided to join the fray in that subtle and contained way of his.

She had seen Hiei's protective nature when it came to Yukina. She had even seen him worried over Kurama a few times during the tournaments they had participated in. And she heard of the way he had rushed in to avenge Yusuke when they believed him to be dead. But it was hard to think of him being that way for her sake. He was strong, steadfast and loyal. If he really felt that way about her, then she had no doubt that the other Botan must have felt safe and protected with him. It must have been nice to have someone care about her like that.

"Botan?" Yukina asked worriedly.

"Huh?"

"You zoned out," she said.

"I was just thinking about… how much I adore Hiei," she lied.

"Maybe you should go over there and show the birthday boy instead of standing here thinking about it," Shizuru encouraged, lips tilted upwards playfully.

"Shizuru!" she exclaimed, her entire face going red.

"It is his birthday," Keiko teased. "He deserves some special treatment."

"Oh, you girls are the worst!" she complained.

"We're just returning the grief you've given us over the years," Keiko giggled.

Botan looked over at Hiei, biting her lip in uncertainly. She supposed she could do something to ease the girls' doubts. It couldn't hurt, after all.

* * *

As the gathering wore on tediously, Hiei observed them all. They were exactly the same, physically, personality wise and relationship wise - except in this world they were oblivious humans who knew nothing of the true realities of the worlds.

Kuwabara continued to fawn over Yukina and squabble with his older sister. Yusuke made a few characteristically perverted remarks that landed him on the receiving end of his woman's fury, while Kurama enjoyed the evening with the same air of contentment as always. Yukina continued to be the only tolerable presence in the room, calm and amiable as always and the ferry-girl fit right in with all of them, as per usual.

Even he – standing on the outskirts of it all – followed the natural course of things. Although he tried to distance himself time and time again, he never felt like a stranger around them, and tonight was no different. The familiarity was there, lapping at the edges of his consciousness and unwilling to let him forget.

Hiei turned away from the scene bitterly. He should have been back at Mukuro's fortress, training and perfecting his skills, and not in the middle of something as trivial as a birthday party.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Botan sang as she appeared beside him.

"It's nothing," he dismissed, crossing his arms tightly.

It was clear that he wanted to be rid of her presence, but she remained at his side suspiciously. Although his abilities were gone, his instincts were still sharp and he knew that something was not right. Her gaze skirted towards the other women, before settling on him determinedly.

"Please don't freak out," she muttered quietly.

"What?"

The bluette took a step forward, her flowery scent invading his senses as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. His immediate reaction was to wipe at his cheek - as if that would erase the feeling of her lips implanted there - but when he felt several other gazes on him, he refrained from doing much of anything.

"Aw, still get all embarrassed when it comes to PDA?" Yusuke teased.

Kuwabara chuckled loudly and Hiei frowned.

"What the hell is PDA?" he growled.

"…Public displays of affection," Yusuke spelled out slowly, as though he was speaking to a child or someone with extremely low intellect.

Botan laughed nervously.

"Yes, Hiei still gets embarrassed. You'd think it was his first time," she joked, yanking his arm as she walked into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

"What the hell was that?" he barked.

"I was just trying to keep up appearances!" she replied quickly. "You didn't have to react like that. The others will think it's suspicious!"

"That was suspicious, woman," he glared at her.

"Don't look at me like that, it wasn't by choice. Shizuru and Keiko were both starting to wonder if something was wrong, what with the way we had been separated all night," she explained. "I had to do it."

Hiei frowned deeply.

"Meddlesome women," he gritted. "They should mind their own business."

"They were just being good friends," Botan defended. "We'll both have to do a better job of convincing the others that we are who they think we are-"

Botan's words were cut short by the door creaking open. She surprised him once more by lacing her arms around his neck and drawing closer towards him. His hands settled on her waist with the full intent of preventing her from getting any closer when Yusuke interrupted with a cough.

"It's getting late, so, we're all gonna head out and leave you two to… _that_ …" he announced ambiguously.

She grinned over at Yusuke innocently, as though she wasn't currently pressed up against Hiei in a display that should not have been witnessed by anyone else.

"Alrighty! We'll be out in a jiffy to say goodbye," she told him.

"Y-yeah…" Yusuke trailed off, closing the door behind him.

She let out a relieved sigh when Yusuke returned to the living room, unlatching her arms from around him and taking a step back.

"Yusuke calls me a blabbermouth, but I bet he's out there telling everyone what he just saw," she muttered to herself. "And that should be more than enough to keep the girls off of my case for a little while."

The woman was an enigma. One minute she was adamantly against sharing a large sized bed and squealing over a little nudity and then the next she was feeling him up and crossing all kinds of personal boundaries. For all of her shyness, she seemed to have no problems getting close and personal to him when the situation called for it. It was almost impressive, the way she focused on the end result rather than the means when it was absolutely necessary.

"I'm really sorry about all of that," she apologized.

"It was nothing," he dismissed. Aside from the surprise factor to her actions, they amounted to nothing more than a few harmless touches in the grand scheme of things.

He remained inside of the bedroom as everyone cleared out, listening to the choruses of goodbye's until the apartment went silent. Botan returned to him with a triumphant grin on her face.

"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked.

"It was just shy of torture," he replied honestly.

"Luckily for you, it's all over."

"Hn."

"Oh, and I found out a bit of information about the two of us."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the how, when and why's of their relationship, but Botan continued regardless.

"Apparently we'd never really been close until some crazy stalker incident."

He frowned in confusion, until he remembered that he was a detective in this world.

"Someone was stalking me and you were the detective assigned to the case. I can only assume that you saved the day, caught the culprit and snagged the very beautiful girl," she said. "Apparently it was a really serious issue that brings up a lot of bad memories, so I couldn't exactly dig for further details."

Hiei remained silent as he processed the new bit of information. His first thought was that their relationship was built on a set of misguided feelings: Botan was thankful to him for saving her life and he had felt some strange sense of duty and obligation to her as her protector, but nearly three years had passed and they were still together. Hiei did not do anything that he was opposed to – not for that long – and so, he must have really cared for her along the way.

"Anyway, I suppose the ordeal brought us closer together and the rest is history."

The whole thing left him unsettled and he ventured towards the bed with a scowl. He should have been in the demon world, entering his chambers within Mukuro's fortress. Instead, he was inside his human counterpart's bedroom, with a ferry-girl trailing behind him and reminding him of all the things that had gone wrong within the past day. He shed his shirt off mechanically and then took a seat at the edge of the bed.

"Oh no, not again!" Botan whined, catching onto his plans. "Will you please be a gentleman and take the couch tonight?"

He didn't feel like arguing and he had no intentions of moving, so he only glared at her in response. All of the fight drained out of the woman, her shoulders slumping in defeat as he quickly realized that this was one battle that she could not win.

"One of these days, that bed is going to be mine," she declared, pulling a pillow out from her side of the mattress with a huff. "Goodnight Hiei."

He grunted in response, before allowing himself to fall back onto the bed. Tomorrow he would begin the search for the lizard demon. Tomorrow he would be one step closer towards home.

* * *

Hiei's such a jerk! Be a gentleman for once, would you?

Haha, anyway… In the next chapter our favorite pair will try to navigate through this new reality and consider their next few steps. Hope you're looking forward to it!


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Hiei awoke with the startling sensation that something was not right. The mattress was far too plush, the sheets were too soft and the room smelled different. He opened his eyes expecting to see the familiar stonewalls of his chambers within Mukuro's fortress, but was instead greeted with the unfamiliar and disappointing sight of beige-colored paint and human furnishings.

So, the events of yesterday weren't just some long nightmare concocted by his sleep-deprived mind. He really was stuck in another dimension with the ferry-girl.

He made quick use of the bathroom - pointedly choosing to ignore all of the feminine products that belonged to the woman - and then threw on the first things he spotted from his counterpart's side of the closet: a comfortable pair of dark sweats and a red t-shirt. Glancing at the digital clock atop of the nightstand, he noticed that it was still early. If he had been the patient or mindful sort, then he would have taken that into consideration, but he trudged towards the living room and determined to wake the woman up anyway.

He was greeted with the sight of the ferry-girl spread out on the couch, the covers a knotted mess at her feet. Blue hair spilled all over the pillow and out of its usual styling as her chest rose and fell systematically, soft snores emanating from her slightly parted pink lips.

"Get up," he ordered as he stared down at her from his spot directly in front of the couch.

"Mm," she moaned, rolling over so that her back was facing him. "Just five more minutes, sir. I'm too tired to ferry any souls right now."

Hiei stared down at her as her breathing slowed down again and she began to drift back into unconsciousness. While she had no trouble sleeping peacefully and blissfully, he had found it increasingly difficult to get any sort of rest last night. He was eager to start his quest to find the lizard-demon and, like it or not, the woman was a necessary component to that quest.

"Wake up," he said, bending slightly in order to nudge at her shoulder with his right hand.

Botan swatted the offending appendage away and tucked herself more comfortably into the couch. Hiei sighed, shaking her shoulder a bit more forcefully this time. Her features creased in displeasure for a moment or two and then she finally opened her eyes. She sat up on the couch and looked around the room confusedly, until the realization of where she was and who she was with dawned on her.

"Hiei?"

He took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So you finally decide to wake up."

"What time is it?" she asked wearily as she rubbed at her eyes.

"A few minutes past eight," he responded.

"Why in the world did you wake me up so early?" she questioned as she draped the covers around her shoulders. "Is something the matter?"

"Our entire predicament is what's the matter," he reminded her. "And I woke you up because we have work to do."

She blinked at him, tilting her head slightly.

"…What do you mean?"

"You have an extensive knowledge of the area, correct?" he asked instead.

She paused, seeming to consider his words carefully.

"Well, I wouldn't call it extensive, but I do know the area fairly well," she confirmed with a serious nod.

"Then you will come with me."

"Where to?"

"To explore this town."

"Really?" she asked excitedly, blue brows lifted in surprise.

He nodded.

"Oh that's wonderful! I knew you would start to look on the bright side eventually!" Botan cheered, clapping her hands together eagerly. "There's so much for us to do and see!"

"Don't misunderstand me, woman. I have no intentions of fulfilling one of your human world fantasies, I simply mean to locate the lizard demon."

Her excitement died down as she stared back at him in uncertainty.

"But… how can we possibly do that without your jagan?"

"The similarities between this world and our own are striking, even you must have noticed this."

"Yes… it's hard not to."

"I knew the defector back in our reality. He was part of Mukuro's camp. Perhaps he is closer than we think in this world."

"So you propose we venture out in the chance of running into him?"

"Yes."

"Well, that sounds thrilling," she said as she began to gather the covers up and fold them neatly. "But don't you think we should spend a little time getting acquainted with the apartment and our living situation before we venture out into the great unknown?"

"There is no need for that when we won't be staying here permanently," he argued.

Botan frowned.

"We have no idea how long we might be stuck here. The smart thing to do is to stay here and gather some intel before we go out into the rest of the world blindly. And it would be a lot more helpful if we both tried piecing the puzzle of ours lives together," she reasoned.

Hiei matched her expression with a scowl of his own. If they stayed in this damn apartment, they would undoubtedly find things that he did not care to see. He didn't want to know any more about this world or his counterpart, and he certainly did not want to learn any more information about the relationship that he shared with the ferry-girl. The only thing he could stand to do was search for a way back to his dimension; to the place where he belonged.

"I have no intentions of wasting any time here when we could be out searching for the enemy," he replied firmly.

She looked as though she wanted to yell at him but she released a deep seated sigh and forced a false look of cheer on her face.

"Alright, we'll try things your way today," she conceded. "But then it's my turn."

"What?"

"Tomorrow we try things my way," she clarified.

"You can do whatever you please, woman. As will I."

"Then you can have a fabulous time running around this world directionless," she said, turning her nose up in the air and positioning her body away from his.

His fists clenched at his side as he reined his frustration in. Without his jagan, he had no way of finding anyone. And without his usual stamina, speed and strength, he did not have the luxury of wandering around aimlessly. As much as he loathed to admit it, he needed her.

"Come with me today and we will do it your way tomorrow," he bargained.

Botan turned back around to view him slowly.

"You mean it?" she asked. "You're not just saying that to trick me into showing you around, are you?"

"I don't go back on my word."

A slow smile stretched over her lips as she nodded.

"Then you've got yourself a deal, mister."

"Hn."

She stood up from the couch with renewed vigor, smiling at him from eye level now.

"Things will work a lot smoother now that we've decided on a game plan," she stated. "Just give me a few moments to get ready and gather a few things and then we'll be on our way."

He nodded his assent wordlessly and Botan paused to stare at him.

"You should probably change into something warmer than that," she mentioned, pointing at his thin shirt and pants. "It's getting colder nowadays and without your unusually warm body temperature you'll need something to keep you warm. I suggest you throw on some layers or maybe even a light jacket."

He had never needed much protection from the weather in the past, but it was a little drafty in the apartment and as she pointed out, he was more susceptible to the cold without his abilities.

"I could pick something out for you if you'd like?" she suggested.

She appeared to be far too thrilled with the idea, so he shook his head.

"I'll do it myself," he replied as he returned to the bedroom.

Botan followed him with a shrug, and they stood side by side, staring at their respective selection of clothing. It was a normal task, but the fact that he was doing it in the same place at the same time as the ferry-girl was entirely out of the ordinary. It was far too domestic for his liking.

"I'll take a quick shower first," Botan announced, pulling him out of his thoughts. "You don't mind do you?"

"No," he answered.

Moments later she was holed up in the bathroom, the sounds of the water pattering against the floor. She began to hum some slow and soothing tune as he threw on another pair of those infernal jeans and a plain charcoal hooded sweater.

He returned to the living room and took a seat on the couch. There was a television against one of the walls and the remote control sat atop of the table, just within his reach. Though there were few, they had these contraptions in the demon world, too, particularly in hotels and more modern homes. He pressed the power button on the remote and flicked through the channels until he came across the news.

If the lizard demon had come here for something droll and predictable like world domination, surely there would be some signs of his interference. He listened intently as the reporter recounted stories ranging from good deeds to petty thefts. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary occurring and unfortunately there was no further lead on the one person he was desperate to find.

The pink device that undoubtedly belonged to Botan started making noise. He frowned down at it, as though he could simply will it to quiet down. After a few more moments of its incessant beeping, he snatched it off of the table with the intentions of either silencing it or smashing it, but he paused when he noticed the display on the screen. Staring back at him was a picture of himself and the ferry-girl, looking very much like a couple. He set it down and swallowed thickly. He'd been avoiding searching through much else in the apartment because he did not want to come across any further evidences of what life was like here. Seeing further proof of his relationship with the woman was too jarring for his liking

He turned his eyes back to the television, keeping his attentions focused until Botan made her entry into the living room. She had taken her own advice, wearing a thick lavender sweater that would presumably keep her warm and a purse strapped over her shoulder.

"Here," she said as she threw a black item at him and he caught it mechanically. "That's your wallet. Everything you need should be in there."

He raised a brow at the item. He had seen Kurama and the others with a variation of this type of thing before. He didn't have much of a chance to examine it, because the ferry-girl had started talking again.

"We should probably eat something before we leave, don't you think?" she asked.

Hiei opened his mouth to object - not wanting to waste any time - but as his stomach growled, he realized just how hungry he actually was. Botan giggled in response, before walking over to the fridge and looking through its contents.

"It's nearly empty… we seriously need to restock," she muttered to herself as she searched through the shelves and compartments. "Uh, how about a sandwich?"

"I don't know what that is," he admitted flatly.

"Here, I'll make one for you. It's only bread with meats and cheeses and condiments. Nothing too fancy."

He turned his back to her as she began to make them a meal that he hoped would pass as edible. Opening up the wallet, he frowned down at its contents. There was an identification card with his picture on it. It listed out his height, date of birth and even had a photo of him on it. The other items were plastic cards, which he had no idea about. There were a few business cards. And there was a wad of human world currency inside. Buried beneath all of these things was a small picture of the ferry-girl. It wasn't anything special or out of the ordinary. Her hair was in its usual style, but something about her seemed different. Instead of those overly bright grins, she stared back at him with a serene smile, lips upturned slightly and eyes exuding a contented happiness. His gaze lingered on the image, wondering why his counterpart would bother with something so sentimental.

"All done!" she called out.

Hiei shoved everything back inside of the wallet and discarded it on the table as he walked over to the bar in kitchen. He took the only remaining seat left, before looking down at the plate that she Botan had motioned towards. True to what she said it seemed to be an assortment of meats and cheeses housed between two pieces of bread. He had seen Yusuke and Kuwabara scarfing similar items down on occasion and figured it couldn't hurt to keep his strength up.

Botan watched him intently as he took the first bite. He chewed slowly in order to get accustomed to the various tastes and textures, before swallowing. It was vastly different than anything he had eaten in the demon world, the flavors a sharp mix of foreign things that he could not process in one bite, but it would do. Once the woman was convinced that he would continue eating, she began to consume her own as well while intermittently tinkering away on that pink device of hers. Although she looked simple and single-minded, the woman obviously knew a great deal of about this world and the way it worked. His chances of success in locating the lizard demon would increase if he had her with him.

"Not bad, right?" Botan grinned as he washed it down with a bottle of water.

"It was sufficient," Hiei answered.

"I suppose that's as good as I'll get with you," she relented, taking both of their plates and depositing it in the sink.

They returned to the living room where he picked up his wallet and pocketed it. He hated the harsh and restricting material of his jeans and how hyper aware he was of everything that was not right. Instead of the comforting weight of his sword at his side, he was saddled with the unfamiliar weight of the leather wallet in his pocket. His clothes all looked and smelled different; sort of like that flowery scent that Kuwabara's clothing carried. The sneakers that he had just slipped into his feet were comfortable enough, but he still preferred his boots. He knew it would be strange for him to wear them here, so he did not bother. All in all, he could hardly feel comfortable when everything was so foreign and unfamiliar.

"Oh, we had better not forget our keys," Botan reminded him. She picked up one of the two sets of keys from the table near the doorway and examined it. There were all manner of trinkets and things attached to her ring; Hiei couldn't be bothered to recognize much less understand them, but when Botan spotted one item in particular, her entire expression lit up. She turned towards him with a bright grin on her face, amethyst eyes twinkling with excitement and she jangled her set of keys at him. "Hiei... we have a car!"

"What?"

"These are for cars," she said, pointing to the small black device. "You press the button to unlock the car doors and-"

"It doesn't matter."

She deflated almost immediately, pouting at him petulantly.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust human contraptions," Hiei told her firmly as he led her out of the apartment. He didn't bother taking the other set of keys if the woman had hers. "We will go on foot."

Botan grumbled something under her breath as locked the door and then trailed behind him through the fluorescent lit halls.

"So, tell me, what type of guy is this elusive lizard-demon?" she asked. "Was he the grubby bars and greasy diners sort guy or the expensive restaurants and fancy theaters kind?"

"I don't know."

"Well, do you at least remember his name? Maybe we can ask around for him."

Hiei shook his head.

"There is nothing to remember when I never bothered to learn it in the first place."

"That's not shocking at all, considering you really aren't a fan of names…" she commented knowingly. "Anyway, we should probably visit the popular spots and the places our counterparts would normally venture to. What do you say?"

He nodded his agreement, pushing the button to call the elevator.

"I was thinking we would start off with the immediate neighborhood first," she continued, following him into the elevator. "And then we could venture out further."

"That's fine."

"Though it would be a lot quicker if we just used the car, don't you think?"

"I already told you that I don't trust those things."

She giggled behind her hand.

"Something amusing?"

"Well, to this day Yukina still doesn't trust cameras. She thinks they'll suck out your soul. And you've got some kind of thing against cars. It's just funny and adorable is all."

Hiei didn't understand what could possibly be funny or adorable about the fact that he and his sister had the good sense to avoid human contraptions, but the woman had a strange mind and it didn't make sense to dwell on it further. The doors opened up and Hiei proceeded to exit the compound entirely. True to the ferry-girl's earlier words, it was a little chilly. Hiei found it strange, considering how warm it was when they arrived yesterday.

"Fall weather... it's a little unpredictable, but it keeps things interesting," Botan said as she took in a deep breath and smiled up at the blue sky.

They didn't really have seasons in Makai like they did in the human world. Certain regions were colder or warmer than others, but they all remained constant for the most part. This was different and he hated change. It only made him long to return home.

"I always did enjoy the fall," she breathed. Her ponytail spilled over one shoulder as she tilted her head to catch his gaze. "It's nice, isn't it?"

He didn't know. He didn't much care, to be honest.

"This isn't a vacation," he reminded her.

"That doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves while we're here," she pointed out.

Hiei grunted in response.

"So, where to first?" Botan asked, setting her hands on her hips.

He looked around and decided on a direction, not bothering to say anything as he went ahead and scanned the streets for any familiar faces. There appeared be more people and activity on the opposite side of the street, so he moved to cross it. Or he would have, had the ferry-girl not have yanked him back by his arm with more strength than he expected from her.

"You can't just cross the street blindly!" she yelled, amethyst eyes wide with shock. They began to narrow as her expression turned reproachful. "What were you thinking? You have to wait until it's safe to go!"

He frowned in confusion and Botan continued.

"You have to wait until the cars are stopped at the traffic signal – when the light is red – and then you can go. When it's green, the cars will continue to pass by."

He looked out into the street and the incoming traffic, realizing that perhaps she had a point. Without his amplified speed he could not avoid a direct hit and without his usual strength, he would not be able to sustain the damage from a direct hit.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" she said, placing a hand on her chest and letting out a deep breath.

"You're overreacting," he scoffed.

"I am not! You could have gotten seriously hurt or killed!" she exclaimed. "I don't even have my white magic to heal if you something had gone wrong. I don't know what I would've done if-"

She cut herself off and Hiei could not tell whether or not it was because the thought was too morbid for her to voice or if it was because her words had become too sentimental for her. Even he had to admit that the conversation had ventured into uncomfortable territory. The woman was visibly upset at the thought of him getting hurt and he was unused to such concern. No one had ever cared about him before – much less to that extent. It was becoming painfully clear and apparent that her past claims of them being friends wasn't just an empty and baseless sentiment. It was more than a silly little proclamation or phrase. But just because it meant something to her didn't mean that it held any significance with him.

"You're far too dramatic," he said in an attempt to break the silence between them and quell the strange emotion that had welled up within him. The light turned red, and he was free to move forward as she had said moments ago. He took this opportunity to cross the street, Botan hot on his heels.

"I'm not being overdramatic, you're just being far too careless," she insisted.

"That's ironic, especially coming from you, woman."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Uh oh, are you two fighting again?" a new voice interjected. "Kurama says it's entertaining, but I think it's just cute."

They both turned to see a brunette with short hair and big brown eyes smiling at them knowingly. She stood in front of the glass walls of a flower shop with a pair of pruning shears in her hands and Hiei couldn't shake the feeling that they had met before. He glanced down at the nametag pinned onto her apron and realized why.

"Maya…?" Botan read aloud, before her eyes lit up in recognition. She pointed at the other woman with her index finger, a smile stretched over her lips. "You're Kurama's Maya!"

The brunette giggled.

"Kurama's Maya?" she repeated in amusement. "I'm not sure about that, but you're always saying the most interesting things, Botan."

"Guilty as charged…" she trailed off, laughing sheepishly.

"So, tell me," Maya began, brows raised in interest as she returned the pruning shears to their pouch and pulled off her gloves. "What was this little lover's spat about this time?"

"L-lover's spat?" Botan echoed, looking back at Hiei for some sort of assistance.

Hiei pursed his lips together obstinately, uninterested in making conversation with a human that he hardly knew and that served no purpose in the grand scheme of things.

"Um, well, Hiei was just being his usual stubborn self," Botan filled in, placing all of the blame on him. "Yes, that it. He's simply too thick-headed for his own good."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her, but the bluette stuck her tongue out at him childishly in response.

Maya chuckled.

"It's always a fun when you two are around," she said fondly. "I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"It's a shame you missed Hiei's birthday celebration yesterday," Botan replied easily. "It would have been nice to have you there."

"I know! I'll be sure to be there next year," Maya promised, looking over at Hiei.

"I don't care either way," Hiei replied.

The brunette seemed to be completely and totally unfazed by Hiei's stoic response, her smile unwavering as she stared back at him. "Charming as always, Hiei."

"Hn."

Whatever she was about to say next was interrupted when someone inside of the shop called her for her attention. The girl looked over her shoulder to see a customer at the front desk and then turned back to view them with an apologetic smile.

"Ah, I guess that's my cue," Maya said, pushing the door open. "You two have a nice day!"

"And you as well!"

Botan waited until the florist was well inside of the shop, before she turned towards Hiei with a devious smirk.

"She's the woman Kurama was telling me about last night. The one that he likes," she revealed.

"I know who she is," Hiei admitted. "I've met her before."

Botan blinked, amethyst orbs losing all signs of playfulness as she stared back at Hiei in surprise.

"You have?"

He nodded.

"She was a classmate of Kurama's."

"Really? And how do you fit into this equation?"

"She fell into the clutches of an enemy that the fox and I had our eye on. We joined forces to defeat him and he was able to rescue the girl in doing so."

"I see…" Botan replied. "It's strange how we've never encountered her in our reality after the whole fiasco."

"It's because he erased her memories."

Botan's jaw dropped.

"Why on earth would he do so such a thing?"

"Perhaps it was for her protection. It did not concern me then and it does not concern me now."

"I could understand it if he did it to protect her, but it seems sort of sad, doesn't it?"

"There is no point in lamenting over the events of the past," he told her.

"Yes, you're right," she droned out, although the expression of worry etched onto her face said otherwise.

"Woman-"

"-Kurama really likes her in this reality," she started. "The way his expression softened when he spoke about her was the sort of thing you ready about in romance novels!"

"I fail to see your point."

"You and I both know he's not dating anyone in our reality... what if that's because Maya's the one for him?"

"…"

"Don't you see? Maybe it's up to us find her and reunite her with Kurama when we return to our reality!" Botan suggested.

"I don't care about any of that."

"But he's your friend. Don't you want him to be happy?"

"I'm not that sentimental."

"So I've realized," she muttered bitterly.

"My only concern is exploring this world, finding the lizard demon and returning to the right dimension," he reminded her curtly. "I don't have the patience, the time or the will to stand around and discuss the fox's nonexistent love life."

"I know, I know," she acquiesced. "No need to be so rude about it. I suppose I'll just have to take up that little mission on my own once we return."

"Suit yourself."

They continued walking around with Botan commenting on every little thing: the park, the playground, and even something as trivial as the colors of the leaves on trees. But Hiei was not concerned with any of that. As they entered and exited a few establishments, he skimmed the faces of each occupant and passerby, searching for the one face that was ingrained in his memory. Even without his distinctively demon features, Hiei could clearly remember the lizard demon's slicked back dark hair, grey eyes and lopsided smirk. He had a thin face with high cheekbones and a rather average build. No one they encountered had yet to fit the bill, but some had come close in resemblance. Even so Hiei's instincts and memory were sharper than that most others and he was sure that when he came across the enemy, he would know it.

While he was motivated by the thought of vengeance and returning to his reality, the ferry-girl chose to spend her time completely enthralled by silly knickknacks and items, getting so caught up in this world that she forgot the original goal of returning to their own. It didn't matter though; Hiei only needed her for her navigational purposes. Besides, the places that she was leading him towards had all yielded positive findings. So far they spotted Chuu working at the local bar. The insufferable Suzuka owned a boutique. Hiei even managed to recognize a few demons from Mukuro, Yomi and Raizen's camp that had apparently taken up residence around the area, while Botan alerted him to the presence of ferry-girls and spirit world workers alike.

"We're making some good progress, don't you think?" Botan asked.

"Yes," he agreed. "We have already encountered our fair share of humans, demons and spirits that we are acquainted with from our world. It is within reason to think that the lizard demon is in this region as well."

"Where do you suppose we should go next?"

"Wherever we are likely to run into the most amount of people."

"Now that's a sentence I never thought I'd hear you say," she teased.

Though she did have a point, Hiei did not bother with a response.

"I suppose the shopping and the business districts would be a good place to go to next," she reasoned as she tapped a finger against her chin. "They're right next to each other and we've seen most of the residential area already."

"Fine," he agreed. Their short expedition had afforded him a decent knowledge of the immediate neighborhood and he was confident that he could come back and do a more thorough search later. For now, he intended to cover as much ground as he could and so long as the woman led the way once, he would be able to commit it to memory. "How do we get there?"

"We can hail a cab or take the subway," Botan suggested. "But you don't like cars, so the cab is out of the question. The subway it is!"

"The subway?" he repeated in confusion.

"It's a form of transportation," she explained.

The only transport he had ever taken was atop of the giant insects of the border patrol. He didn't much trust anything human made.

Botan giggled, apparently reading his mind.

"Come on, it'll be fun!"

* * *

Botan stood amongst the crowded subway, watching as people filed in and out from all directions. It was a little overwhelming to be honest and she was sure that Hiei did not appreciate the large group of people surrounding him. She took a moment to inspect what everybody else was doing before pulling a similar looking card out of her bag.

"So this is what we use to get inside. And I suppose you fill it up with credits or money when it runs out," she said, glancing at the machines where others had lined up.

He did not respond, he merely followed her lead with a frown as he retrieved his card from his wallet. She swiped it at the turnstile and frowned as it prompted her to do it again. After a few unsuccessful tries, it finally worked. Hiei managed to pass through after the first swipe and by the time they both approached the platform, a train was waiting with open doors. She and Hiei quickly boarded, followed by many others and forcing her to stand much closer to Hiei than she normally would. She attempted to maintain her balance as the train sped off, but it was proving to be quite difficult. They were in the middle of the car without anything to hold onto and she wasn't used to this at all.

"I was thinking we could stop by our workplaces," Botan mentioned, trying her best to appear unaffected by the train's movements.

"Why?"

"Because it would be a good idea to learn the route there. We do have to go to work tomorrow, after all."

"You're considerably more brain-damaged than I originally assumed you to be if you think that I plan on tending to the other Hiei's duties," he replied callously, all the while remaining to stand upright without any trouble.

"It's only fair, considering you pushed him out of his own world," Botan reasoned. "Besides, you wouldn't want to ruin things for him, would you?"

"My presence there will be enough to ruin things. I know nothing of what it requires to be a human detective," he reminded her.

"And I have no idea about what I do at my job, either, but we'll both have to wing it!"

Hiei opened his mouth to protest, but was the words died on his lips when Botan fell against him. She fisted the front of his shirt, trying to get a hold of herself.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"-Just stay right there," Hiei ordered, before she had the chance to pull away.

"Huh?"

"You keep floundering," he remarked. "It's annoying."

"Well excuse me for-"

Her words were cut off as the train stopped abruptly and she lurched forward, tightening her grip on him. She could feel his gaze on her and she pointedly looked away, still not completely used to being at eye-level with him.

"Like I said, woman, it would be much more reasonable for you to remain like this," he said calmly.

"…I suppose you have a bit of a point there," she conceded, eyes cast downward in embarrassment as she remained close to him.

As the ride wore on, she tried to busy herself with other things, like the blurred scenery outside of the windows or the advertisements plastered inside of the car. She most definitely did not think about how nice Hiei smelled or how oddly tantalizing it was to be in such close proximity.

The fire-demon had always been an enigma to her; a shadow that always existed just beyond the borders of her understanding. The two of them had never really been left alone and they had never interacted much – aside from his verbal attacks and threats – so it was very disconcerting to be trapped in a reality with him as her only companion. While she had always wanted to get to know him better, she never meant for it to happen this way. And she had never expected for him to make her so flustered at every turn. It was all so bewildering. Luckily, she didn't have to contemplate it as they pulled up to the next station.

"This is our stop," Botan announced, releasing the material of his shirt and stepping away. She led him towards the heart of the district in silence, taking in the sights. She knew this area well, having visited many times to spend some time with Shizuru and Keiko. It was just as lively and colorful as it was in their reality and the crowd was larger than the one they had encountered in their residential neighborhood.

As usual, Hiei's eyes were already perusing the people within his range of view. Botan had to hand it to him, he certainly was determined to find the lizard demon. She was too, of course, but she wasn't going to become so single-minded that she disregarded everything else around them.

"What do you plan on doing once we find the demon?" Botan asked conversationally as she sneakily directed him towards her office building. Shizuru had mentioned the name of their company last night, and with a little investigating on her phone, she knew exactly where the place was.

"That much is obvious," Hiei began, a dangerous glint house within his crimson eyes. "I will force him to send us back, and then I will kill him."

"So violent!" she shuddered.

He smirked almost evilly at her and she was suddenly reminded of what a menace he could really be.

"Not everything has to end in violence, you know," she instructed.

"A weak-minded and weak-bodied ferry-girl would say something like that," he replied.

"This has nothing to do with our difference in power levels and everything to do with that twisted mind of yours," she countered. "Ever since I can remember, you've always had a penchant for death threats and the like."

"It's effective," he reasoned.

"And cruel!"

"Hn."

A few short minutes later, Botan stopped right outside of a grey colored office. It was a tall building with spotless glass windows and well kept grounds.

"This is where Shizuru and I work..." she informed. "Sakyo works here as well, so it's safe to assume that some other familiar faces might work here as well."

"No one of consequence I'm sure," Hiei said.

"Why do you say that?"

"The lizard demon was someone who I was in contact with. It wouldn't make sense for him to be working in the same place as you."

"You're right, but there's something strange about this whole thing," Botan started with a frown. "If most of our situations are the same in this world, then shouldn't I be working with Koenma and shouldn't you be working with Mukuro? How did I end up here with Shizuru and how did you end up being employed for Koenma again?"

"You're thinking too deeply into things. Something as trivial as that shouldn't matter."

"It matters to me!"

Hiei's jaw clenched as he gritted his teeth together.

"You're forgetting why we ventured out here in the first place. You're allowing your incessant curiosity to cloud your judgment."

"And you're letting your impetuousness cloud yours!" she countered. "Any bit of information could help, Hiei. You never know what might lead us in the right direction."

"You're just saying that to satiate your curiosity."

"I'm saying it because it's true. And since I'm the one who actually knows where are, I'm going to go and see Koenma."

She stomped ahead, rounding the corner and coming upon the police station. If Hiei didn't want to come in, then that was on him, but she was certain that Koenma could prove to be of some use. She approached the man at the front desk. He was balding, but he stubbornly continued to grow out his shoulder length blond hair anyway. The man was sort of familiar, now that she thought about it.

"Botan, I didn't expect to see you here today," the stranger said, surprise in his dark eyes.

She blinked curiously. She knew that voice!

"Jorge?"

"Yes?"

"I almost didn't recognize you without your horn or the blue skin!" she exclaimed.

"…Huh?"

Jorge's expression dropped into a look of complete and utter confusion and Botan gasped as she covered her hand over her mouth.

"I-I mean-"

"Ignore her," Hiei cut in, as he stood to a stop beside her. "She's experiencing one of her many moments of insanity."

Botan pouted at him while Jorge simply chuckled.

"Well, it's always nice to see you here, Botan," he said. "It reminds me of the good old days, back when Koenma didn't berate me as much because you were around."

The duo exchanged glances, before Botan turned back to face Jorge.

"…I miss it here, too," she played along, before frowning regretfully. "Why on earth did I ever leave in the first place?"

"Well, it was your choice and we all understood it. After the whole _incident_ , we all agreed that it would be much healthier for you to work in a less stressful and more stable environment," Jorge filled in. "The things you hear and see here aren't always pretty, as you're well aware of and you've had your fair share of horrors for one lifetime."

"Yes… that is true," she agreed with a nod.

"Besides, you love it at Sakyo Corp. now," Jorge commended. "And that's what matters."

She beamed up at him.

"You're right."

Jorge smiled at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"I didn't mean to get all sentimental on you. Are you looking for Koenma?"

"Yes, is he here?" Botan asked.

"He's in his office. He's not really doing much now, so you can go right in," Jorge informed.

"Excellent. Thanks for the help, Jorge!" she said, before skipping further inside. The place looked unassuming enough: workstations, file cabinets and boards took up the entirety of the floor while the offices were situated in the four corners. Hiei had paused to examine the workers on the floor, but Botan wasted no time as she bound into Koenma's office. He was running a hand through his brown locks as he stared down at a file, mouth curling downwards in thought. His princely robes were replaced with a crisp white dress shirt and black slacks and she could see his jacket hanging on the back of his chair. The Jr. tattoo on his forehead as well as his ever present blue pacifier were gone and, although he was a far cry from his usual visage, the sight of him here was more than enough to flood the ferry-girl with relief.

"Koenma?" she asked experimentally.

He looked up from his papers, smiling at her warmly as he took a stand.

"I wasn't expecting to see you today," he replied, his high-pitched voice becoming more of a comfort to her than she thought it would.

"Oh, sir, it's so good to see you!" Botan exclaimed, flinging her arms around him.

"Sir?" he echoed in confusion all the while patting her back out of reflex.

Botan stiffed in the embrace, before pulling away.

"Uh, you know, because you're such a prominent leader in the law enforcement community," she amended, hoping to play upon his ego in order to make him forget about her blunder.

"I am an all powerful leader aren't I?" he grinned in satisfaction, standing up a bit straighter than normal.

Botan laughed in response.

"That you are…"

Hiei chose that moment to enter the office, closing the door behind him in order to afford them a bit of privacy.

"Nice of you to stop by on your day off, Hiei," Koenma greeted.

"Hn."

"Talkative as always," he noted. "So what brings you two here?"

"We were in the area and I got the sudden urge to see you," Botan explained.

"And I am searching for someone," Hiei stated. "Perhaps you can help."

Koenma's expression turned serious upon hearing Hiei's words.

"If you're looking for someone with a criminal record, you can always log onto your computer and search the files," he offered.

Hiei hesitated and Botan figured it was because he had no idea how to use a computer, nor did he know the lizard demon's name. She knew how to use one, of course, but without demon's name, they'd be searching blindly.

"What about Mukuro?" Hiei asked instead. "Where is she?"

"She's off today, but she should be in tomorrow."

"Mukuro works here?" Botan asked.

Koenma frowned.

"…Of course she does," Koenma replied. "Hiei was transferred to her unit years ago. Don't tell me you forgot?"

"I knew that… it simply slipped my mind for a moment," Botan answered quickly. Now it was all starting to make sense. Hiei still worked for Mukuro in this world – but it was in the same field as Koenma. And she used to work for Koenma, but, due to extenuating circumstances, had elected to choose a different career path.

"Is something wrong with her? She's acting stranger than normal," Koenma pointed out, directing his gaze towards Hiei.

Hiei merely shrugged.

"She has always had a few screws loose. You of all people should know that," Hiei stated flatly.

"You do have a point there," Koenma agreed.

Botan glared at the both of them, hands balled into fists at her side.

"Don't you have work to do?" she grumbled at Koenma.

He looked down at his watch.

"Actually, I am expecting an important call soon."

"Then we'll be on our way," Botan announced. "Hopefully the next time I see you, you'll have someone else to poke fun at!"

"Alright… I'll see you around," he said to Botan. "And I suppose I'll see you on Tuesday, Hiei."

They both froze at that, but Botan was the first to reply with a lame, "Huh?"

"Hiei put in PTO and I remember you telling me you were doing the same," Koenma clarified.

"Oh, that's right. Silly me, I almost forgot!" she said, putting on her infamous feline expression.

Koenma paused to examine her critically and Botan shirked back.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Koenma asked with a concerned frown. "You're acting strange – even for you."

"It's nothing!" she promised. "Really, everything is just peachy. You should probably prepare yourself for that super important call, so Hiei and I will get out of your way."

She didn't give him a chance to reply as she hurried out of his office and bid Jorge a quick farewell. They exited the station and returned to the busy streets having gained a bit more knowledge on this world.

"Didn't I tell you it was a good idea to visit Koenma?" Botan boasted, placing her hands on her hips as she smirked at Hiei.

"Cockiness doesn't suit you, woman."

"Well maybe if a certain someone actually paid me my dues, I wouldn't have to be so arrogant," she replied.

"Hn."

"In any case, if Mukuro works here, then the lizard demon must be around here, too. You said it yourself, he used to work under Mukuro's kingdom, right?"

"Yes. Although he defected a few years ago."

"Well, that's fine. It still means we have a connection to him. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. We'll simply have to hold our heads high and keep searching!"

* * *

The sun was already setting as Botan retrieved two hot-dogs from the stand on the street. Everything was cast in a golden orange glow and although the day was ending, the town seemed to be coming to life all over again. It had been such a nice day and she really enjoyed the normality of it all. While it was true that they hadn't spotted the lizard demon, they did learn quite a bit about the state of this dimension and that was a plus in Botan's book. As she walked back towards Hiei, her bright grin dropped. He sat on the park bench, brows furrowed and eyes narrowed in thought. His lips were pulled into a tight frown that was further augmented by the tense and stiff way his shoulders were set. She could only imagine the unending questions and worries floating around in his mind and a pang of sympathy ran through her as he stared down at him. While she had always been fascinated by the human world and was having a grand time being stuck here, Hiei hated it and knew little to nothing about it. Her posture wilted as sympathy and sadness overtook her.

His gaze snapped up to meet hers and she broke out of her thoughts, moving to take a seat beside him.

"Here you go," Botan said, handing him his hot dog.

He accepted it wordlessly and they ate in silence, a slow breeze rustling the trees and plants that lined the road. She watched as people from all walks of life passed them by, going about their business or simply enjoying their free time. The sun was gone now, the peaceful night rolling in and casting a different sort of ambience between them.

"Today was a good start," Botan commented.

He remained silent. His features had smoothened over into a stoic look of indifference as she continued.

"We ran into a lot of familiar faces. And we covered a lot of territory."

"..."

"It's only a matter of time until we find the enemy," Botan said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You'll see."

Hiei pulled away from her touch, his brow furrowed slightly as he cast her a disparaging look.

"I know that. You do not have to coddle me."

"I wasn't-" Botan denied before letting out an annoyed huff. "Ugh! Fine, that's the last time I try to be nice to you, Hiei!"

"You say that as though you actually believe it to be possible," he scoffed.

"What?"

"I know your type, woman. Your unnecessarily kind and compassionate nature comes as easily as breathing."

"I…"

"But your efforts are wasted on me," he continued. "I don't need reassurance and I don't need any sympathy."

She stared at him for a moment, before deciding to say what was on her mind. Hiei certainly had no trouble doing the same when it came to her.

"You may think that, but I don't believe you," she stated.

"I don't care what you believe."

"If you really didn't care, then you wouldn't have tried to stop me from caring."

His jaw ticked, signifying his irritation.

"I only did it because your concern is a nuisance," he replied.

"Or maybe it makes you uncomfortable because you aren't accustomed to someone caring about your feelings," she countered. "Sorry to say, but you'll have to get used to it. I care about all my friends and like it or not, you fall into that category, mister."

Botan had expected Hiei to say that they weren't friends and that they never would be, but he merely held her gaze, red irises tinged with a touch of something indeterminable. She maintained the eye contact until he settled his eyes towards a point in the distance.

"We should head back now," he said lowly.

"Are you sure?"

"It's already nightfall and we haven't found any signs of the lizard demon. I did not expect for us to come across him so soon, but at least we covered enough territory. Now that I know the area, I can continue the search alone."

"A-alright," she appeased.

She supposed that Hiei would return to treating her like one of the fixtures in their apartment now that she had fulfilled the one purpose he deemed her worth enough for and the thought made her sadder than she wanted to admit. It was nice being depended on by someone much stronger and much more accomplished than she was and she almost wished that their little excursion wouldn't end. But that was silly, so she immediately discarded the thought.

They both stood up from the bench and she stretched towards the dark velvet sky. It had been a long and tiring day, but it was hardly a waste.

"Woman."

She turned her gaze away from the star-studded sky to meet his crimson eyes, completely surprised by the attention and focus he had placed on her. In all of the years that they had known each other, he had never really acknowledged her. He had never really accepted her as an ally or considered her to be a part of the team. But this was different; a far cry from those cold looks of indifference or heated glares he often afforded her. He was really seeing her this time - staring right at her and not past her.

"Hiei?" she questioned self-consciously.

His mouth parted and the words that left it took her by complete surprise.

"I am not the type to amass casual acquaintances and I don't care for friendships, either, but you were fairly useful today," he acknowledged. "Perhaps there is value in having you as ally."

Botan blinked as his words settled inside of her shellshocked mind. He tore his gaze away from hers and began to walk away without affording her a chance to respond. She wasn't sure if she would be able to anyway. She certainly did not expect for him to compliment her out of the blue like that, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. A slow and soft smile spread over her face as she followed after him. Maybe there really was more to the cold-hearted and callous man than what appeared on the surface.

* * *

Thanks to ReaperDemon for providing me with some valuable input and giving me the little push I needed to finally just upload this blasted chapter. It gave me loads of trouble, but I'm happy to be done with it.

That being said, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know your thoughts~

Next chapter will feature a heavy helping of H/B along with a side of everyone's favorite ice-maiden and Warrior of Love. Hope you're looking forward to it!


	6. Chapter 6

Hi guys! Sorry for the delay, but better late than never, right?

I had to split this chapter in two, so we will get to see Yukina and Kuwabara in the next one.

* * *

Botan awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She was in a great mood and not even the fact that Hiei had managed to claim the bed again had brought her down. Although she was trapped in an alternate reality with Hiei as her only ally, she was determined to look on the bright side. This was a nice little break from her usual life; she could go wherever she wanted and do whatever she pleased. She was free to enjoy the human world in a way that she never had before.

Untangling herself from her covers, she reached over to the table in order to procure her cellphone. She was thrilled to see that she already had a few text messages from her friends. It took a little bit of trial and error, but she eventually got the hang of it and was able to message, call and take photos. There were a few other applications on there, but she figured that she could learn about those some other time.

Once she had finished responding to Shizuru, Hinageshi and Ayame, she folded her blanket and placed it on the couch. Hiei was still fast asleep, so she entered the bedroom with mindful steps and pulled an outfit out from the closet quietly. As she tiptoed over to the bathroom, she paused to glance at the raven-haired man. It was strange seeing him without his usual guarded look of indifference or his angered scowl. His features were smoothed over, mouth in a relaxed line and expression calm. Hopefully a good night's rest would put him in a pleasant mood and they could get through the day without any arguing.

Botan spent a decent amount of time in the bathroom, getting clean and looking presentable. After tying her hair up in its signature ponytail, she exited back into the bedroom. Hiei was already up and awake and making his way towards her, his hair sticking out even more than usual and his eyes half-lidded.

"Good-" she chirped cheerfully.

Hiei brushed past her without a word, closing the door behind him.

"-morning," she finished, deflating slightly.

Botan shook her head lightly. She was slowly getting used to his gruff manner and was quickly realizing that this was simply Hiei's way. As she set about depositing her dirty clothes in the hamper and tidying up the room, she came across a diary inside of her nightstand. Her eyes lit up as she sat on the bed and prepared to read through it. It could very well contain some interesting details or juicy gossip, but as she read through the first page, she realized that she was sorely mistaken. This journal was only used as a therapeutic means of documenting the other Botan's time during the whole stalker incident. She closed the book and returned it to its location within the drawer. It didn't feel right to invade the other's privacy like that and Botan wasn't ready to learn about what had really happened during that period in her counterpart's life.

She left the room in order to acquaint herself with the rest of the apartment. It was an open floor plan, the living room feeding directly into the dining area and the kitchen. It could have easily looked cluttered and messy, but everything was situated in such a way that it still appeared spacious and homey. Everything had its own proper place - everything except for the small black book lying on the counter. She wandered over to it and picked it, curious eyes sweeping over the passcodes, pins and other information written neatly in dark ink. Amethyst eyes lit up; they could certainly use this in the future. She kept it nearby as she continued to search through the apartment.

There was nothing out of the ordinary, but one thing ran true: her counterpart had put a lot of time and care into making the apartment feel like a home and she pulled it off fabulously. Botan could feel the love that went into crafting the space and her smile turned wistful. It was nice to know that at least one version of herself could experience a life like this.

Her fingers brushed over a photo of the happy couple and she sighed. There was no use in wishing for what she couldn't have, so she shook her head and decided to report her findings to Hiei.

Botan made it all of two steps inside, when she spotted a pile of the fire-demon's dirty clothes on the floor.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed, her entire face going flush.

"What?" he asked, stepping out of the closet to glare at her. He was only wearing a pair of sweatpants and Botan had to avert her gaze.

"Can you please dispose of your clothing like a normal person and not leave them lying all over the place?" she requested. "The clothes bin is in the closet."

"Hn. I didn't realize you were such a neurotic neat-freak."

"I'm not!"

"Then why the theatrics?" he countered with a raise of his brow.

"Because…" she said, avoiding eye contact at all costs as her cheeks reddened in color. "You even left your _underwear_ in there."

"You act as though you've never seen underwear before," he replied.

"Up until today I hadn't seen yours!" she replied shrilly. "And I was hoping to keep it that way!"

"Of course," he scoffed. "I keep forgetting that you're a repressed prude."

Botan huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from him. She had never lived with someone of the opposite gender before, so it was only natural that things like nudity and men's underwear would disconcert her. She wasn't a prude; she simply understood the importance of boundaries and proper etiquette. It wasn't nice of Hiei to mock her because of her inexperience, but she supposed she should not have expected any better from him; he had always seemed to take a sick satisfaction in preying upon people's weaknesses. Even so, she wanted things to be better between them since they were literally all each other had in this world. She softened her expression as she turned back to face him, glad to find that he had at least had the decency to throw on a shirt.

"Um… do you want me to show you around the place?" she asked hopefully. "I just finished figuring out where everything was."

"That's not necessary," he declined.

"But you promised we would do things my way today!" she reminded him with a frown.

"You wanted to search the apartment and you did," he pointed out. "I don't see what that has to do with me."

"Hiei!" she exclaimed. "That's not fair at all! You dragged me all around yesterday and I didn't complain."

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself enough, woman. If I recall, you had gotten sidetracked more times than worth counting," he countered.

She pouted irritably and he sighed.

"But I did give you my word, so I suppose I should follow through," he admitted, concealing his hands within his pockets as he averted his gaze.

Botan's entire expression lifted as she nodded enthusiastically.

"I knew that you weren't that disagreeable!" she cheered. "Follow me, there's something I wanted to show you before we started."

She led him towards the workstation on the other side of the room, where she took a seat and proceeded to start up the laptop. She had fiddled away devices like these plenty of times and had come across the password written in that black notebook she had found earlier. Hiei remained silent as she typed away and eventually pulled up a webpage. She angled the laptop so that he could see it more clearly as she turned towards him.

"This is a map of this town," Botan explained, before clicking the magnifying glass at the top of the screen. "And if I zoom out like this, we can get a clearer picture of the region of Japan that we are in. If I go even further out, we'll see a map of the entire archipelago. We are just a very tiny part of a very big world and I wanted you to see it for yourself to put things into perspective."

Hiei leaned in closer to the screen, the complementary scents of his body wash and his own natural scent infiltrating her senses as he did so. There was something very intimate about living with him even though they did not do anything intimate at all, and although she tried to play it cool, it was still a lot to get used to. She tried to ignore the heat of his body and their proximity as she focused on the screen, hoping that the fire-demon did not pick up on her internal dilemma. He would surely make fun of her if he knew just how out of her element she really was when it came to him.

She cleared her throat and continued.

"It's possible to go anywhere with the right form of transportation," she informed. "And that's why we simply can't go running off blindly in the hopes that we encounter the lizard demon. He could have already gotten off to some far corner of the world for all we know."

"Perhaps he's not a human-world enthusiast like you," Hiei countered as he stood at full height, crossing his arms over his chest. "He may not know about this world and how it operates."

"I doubt that," Botan answered. "He seemed pretty sure of himself before he activated the pendant. He must have come to this dimension for a reason and I'm almost positive that he would have done his research about this place beforehand."

Hiei's forehead creased as his frown deepened.

"I really don't think there is much we can do from this side," she concluded. "I believe our best option would be to lay low and live our counterparts' lives until the others can figure out a way to bring us back."

"It sounds as though you're suggesting this because it's what you want to do and not because it's the most logical course of action," Hiei accused, eyes narrowing critically as he examined her.

"It's both actually!" Botan admitted. "We're stuck here without any abilities, any leads on where the demon might be and any idea of how to get back home. This world doesn't hold any mystical properties, so it's not as though we can find another artifact to transport us back."

"I know that."

"And, on top of that, we have to be careful not to tip anyone off to the fact that there are other worlds and that we are from a different reality. Meaning we have to act as they would expect us to."

"I'm well aware."

"So, all we really can do is live our counterpart's lives. And we might as well enjoy ourselves while doing it," Botan suggested with a grin. "It'll be fun getting to do all of these new and exciting things."

Hiei's frown darkened and Botan felt a pang of sympathy for him. He had always hated the human world and now he was forced to live a human life, completely devoid of the strength and abilities he had worked so hard for all these years. She stood up from the workstation and stepped into his line of view with a smile, determined to make him see things in a way that he might appreciate.

"Think of this as an extended training exercise," she proposed, index finger pointed in the air as she continued with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. "Learning to adapt to a new and unfamiliar situation, moving out of your comfort zone and broadening your horizons can only be positive things in the end. It'll give you a chance to grow and strengthen your mental fortitude. And, once you're more familiar with this world, Yusuke and Kuwabara can't tease you about things you don't understand anymore. Plus, you'll-"

"That's enough, woman," he interrupted evenly. "You've made your point."

"And while we're on the subject of positive change and development, how about you stop calling me " _woman_ " and start calling me by my name?" she said, placing her hands on her hips and giving him a reproachful look.

Hiei stared back at her blankly and Botan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's Botan!" she told him exasperatedly.

"I know what your name is," he informed. "I simply have no intention of using it."

"Well, how would you like it if I called you demon all the time?"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't call me at all," he muttered.

"Ugh! You're impossible!"

Hiei smirked.

"I know."

She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Hiei had agreed to do things her way; there was no sense in arguing over getting more out of him.

"Let's have breakfast while we discuss how to proceed," she suggested instead. "I think I've got a pretty decent understanding of how things are run around here, so I can catch you up while we eat."

* * *

Hiei sat at the kitchen island, blinking down at the strange items floating around in a bowl of the human world's equivalent of milk. He couldn't understand how this inadequate excuse for a meal was the norm in any world, but he had no choice but to believe the woman's claims.

"Eat up!" Botan encouraged from beside him. "If you wait too long it'll become soggy."

His stomach rumbled, reminding him of his hunger, so he picked up the spoon that rested beside the bowl and then proceeded to shovel some of the strange food into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, trying to make sense of the strangely processed items all the while feeling Botan's eyes on him.

"...Do you like it?" she asked, blue brows drawn together in concern.

It was too sweet and the consistency was too odd for him to enjoy, but he swallowed it anyway.

"It doesn't matter," Hiei replied as he returned the spoon to the bowl and scooped up some more. He only needed to keep his strength up. The taste was inconsequential.

"I think it's quite nice," she stated. "But we can always try some other ones and get a feel for what you do like."

As he resumed eating, the woman began explaining things to him. He already understood how to use most of the appliances that he needed in his day-to-day routine due to the amount of time he had spent in the human world in the past. Kurama's mother had insisted he stay with them on more than one account and – although he never admitted it to anyone – he would often help her with the chores at her behest.

"Anyway, this is a credit card," she continued as she showed him a small, rectangular item. "There's a limit attached to it, so be careful not to max it out before you pay it off. Also, the debit card is tied to our bank account..."

He tuned her out as best as he could as she went on and on. There was so much to remember and most of it was useless information that he would never need once he returned to his old life. He hated the fact that he needed to learn how to become a functioning member within human society more than the fact that he had lost all of the abilities that made him a demon. The fox and the others had better be looking into a way to get them out of this world because Hiei had no intentions of playing the part of a pitiful human.

"Oh, I also found this handy little notebook," Botan announced, sliding it over to him. "It's got all of our important information listed there as well as a schedule of important events and reminders. It's very thorough, but it's not my handwriting."

Hiei flipped through the pages absentmindedly, before stopping on one page in particular and staring down at it. He recognized the scrawl immediately.

"It's mine," he said.

"I thought it might be," she replied with a smile. "It looks like you've arranged it so that most of our payments are done automatically, too. I'm impressed."

As he scanned through words and digits that did not mean much to him, he realized that this sort of orderly efficiency gave this world's Hiei a sense of control and, to a lesser degree, a sense of power. His train of thought was interrupted when the device concealed within his pocket started making noise. He frowned, pulling it out and glaring at it.

"What's the matter?" Botan asked.

"This infernal thing won't stop," he sneered, gripping it tight in his hand. If he was a demon again, the slightest bit of pressure would be enough to break it and the thought only served to aggravate him even more.

"Here, let me see," she said, scooting her stool closer towards his and holding her hand out towards him.

He placed the phone in her upturned palm and watched as she began to play around with it.

"It's only beeping because it's about to die. We should get it charged up," she informed. "But before that, I should give you a quick rundown of how to use it."

Botan began showing him all of the features of his phone and he only paid attention because he might need it in the future. Without the jagan's ability to open a telepathic communication, he needed some other method of contacting the ones he needed to. The ferry-girl had managed to explain things much more concisely than he thought she was capable of, and he had a much better understanding of the device afterwards. While these contraptions were seen all over the human world, the spirit world and the demon world lacked a need for such a thing. It was odd that the woman was so familiar with it. In fact, the woman seemed to know far more about the world than what was reasonably expected.

"Why do you know so much?" he asked suddenly.

Botan paused for a moment, looking surprised that he had even bothered asking in the first place before relenting with an easy shrug of her shoulders.

"I've been all around this world with the others during missions and during down time. Besides that, I've always been fascinated with the human world and I enjoy learning about it."

"You're a strange woman."

"You're not the first person to call me that and you certainly won't be the last," she noted, her indomitable cheer shining through, as always. "But at least all this knowledge is being put to good use!"

"…I suppose you have a point," he agreed.

She grinned triumphantly and Hiei was forced to look away, still unaccustomed to the amicable way she was behaving around him. She smiled at him with ease and treated him without prejudice, as if she had completely forgotten that they started out on two opposite sides of the same battle. Even now, he considered her as nothing more than a means to an end, and, yet, she treated him far better than he deserved. He knew that she must have been just as infuriated with him as he had been with her during their time together, but she never stopped regarding him with genuine kindness, softness and patience. It was so different from anything he had ever experienced before and Hiei was unsure if he would ever get used to it.

As he watched Botan collect her empty bowl and move to deposit it in the sink, his eyes caught sight of something peculiar. The phrase _"_ _I love you_ _"_ was penned in a flowery cursive script on a tiny whiteboard attached to the fridge with silly little hearts decorating the surrounding space. Something strange tugged at his chest and seized his heart as the string of words slowly processed its way through his brain. He looked away in an attempt to quell that foreign feeling rising in his chest, but it did nothing to erase it.

"Isn't that sweet," Botan commented with a smile. "A little weird, considering the circumstances, but it's still nice to see that we were happy."

Hiei chose not to reply. Being reminded at every turn that his other self had fallen in love was a stark interruption to each moment that he did not need. The very thought of being in a relationship left him feeling unsettled and tense in ways that he could not describe. He had never considered it before nor had he ever wanted it, but here he stood, in an alternate universe where his counterpart was unequivocally in love with the other version of the ferry-girl standing before him.

It wasn't as if he had never been with a woman before. He had been with plenty, but it was only fleeting and served a singular purpose. It was common in the demon world and, as he had learned through Yusuke, the human world, too. Never before had he delved into the idea that something as elusive and fleeting as love would come to him, but it came for this world's Hiei and the thought bothered him more than he cared to admit.

"Hiei?"

Her hand was on his shoulder as she shook him gently.

"What?" he asked, pulling away so that she was no longer touching him.

"You zoned out is all. I was asking if you wanted to go now?" she asked gently.

"Go?"

"To explore the rest of the complex?"

She was staring at him with that worried glint in her eye and he berated himself for zoning out so much around her.

"Fine," he agreed, if only to separate himself from the apartment and everything that it meant.

Her expression brightened considerably and she wandered over to the small table near the door, picking up her keys and hooking her index finger around the key ring.

"Then, let's not waste any time!"

She threw on a light jacket and Hiei followed her out of the apartment wordlessly, his strides slow and calm behind her excited steps. He scanned their surroundings with a critical eye, taking in the neutral colored walls, dark doors and matching floors, before stopping at the sight of Apartment 4D. If memory served him correctly, this was Kurama's place of dwelling. Hiei couldn't help but wonder what their history was in this world, considering the one that he was familiar with was entrenched in crimes, death and violence.

"Do you want to make a quick pit stop to see what Kurama's up to?" she suggested.

If they met with him, they would be forced to act as a couple again and that was not something that he was willing to do.

"Stop, woman," Hiei interrupted a bit too forcefully.

Botan paused, hand hovering mere inches away from the door. She turned to meet his gaze questioningly, tilting her head in confusion.

"We do not have time to waste on social calls," Hiei said sternly. "Stay on track and do what you came out here to do."

"Alright... if you insist."

She moved away from Kurama's door and continued walking onwards. She tapped a hand at her chin contemplatively as she looked around the area.

"The garbage chute should be somewhere around here," she mumbled as they continued to venture down the hallway.

"The garbage chute?" he replied in confusion. "What purpose would that serve?"

"We can't exactly let all of the trash pile up inside of the apartment, now can we? " she countered. "Besides, don't you have to dispose of your things in a similar manner over at Mukuro's castle?"

"It's a fortress, not a castle," he corrected with a frown as he crossed his arms over his chest. "And the servants are charged with such menial tasks."

"Well, when you have servants obeying your every whim like that, it might as well be a castle. And since you're the sole heir to Mukuro's territory, that would make you the prince."

He scoffed at the absurdity of her statement. He was by no means a pampered and prim prince, but he did have to admit that living with Mukuro had afforded him with a level of luxury that he was previously unused to. The thought seemed to amuse the woman to no end, though, and she continued to hide her giggles behind her hand. After a few moments of her stifled laughter, he rounded on her with a glare.

"Stop that," he ordered.

"I can't..." she replied in between a fit of giggles. "I just imagined you in one of those horrible outfits with puffy sleeves and tight pants..."

He growled and stomped ahead, eyes narrowed and glaring daggers at anyone he passed by. He promised the woman that no harm would come to her from him - and even if he hadn't verbally agreed to enter into a temporary allegiance with her, he still would not have hurt her because of his honor code - but she was seriously trying his patience. He continued walking until he could no longer hear her sounds of amusement and found himself at the end of a new hallway, face to face with a struggling brunette holding her squirming baby.

Hiei intended to turn around, but was momentarily stunned as the blonde haired, hazel-eyed child in her arms smiled and waved at him, letting out an utterance that sounded familiarly enough like his name.

"Would you mind helping me with out, Hiei?" the woman asked, relief seeping through her tired features at the very sight of him. "I didn't want to leave Shinji in the apartment alone, but I can't exactly throw this away with one free hand."

Crimson eyes dithered towards what he could only presume was the garbage chute. He didn't make it a habit of doing favors for strangers, but he couldn't very well leave the struggling mother after she had requested his aid. It seemed as though she had expected him to hold the child while she finished her task, but Hiei had no intentions of holding anyone's infant. He crossed over to her, ignoring the boy as he clapped his hands together and grinned at him, and pulled at the chute's handle experimentally. Once it was opened wide enough he dropped the black bag inside and closed the chute once more. The infant was still waving and making gurgled noises at him and Hiei looked away with a scowl.

"There you are," Botan said, finally catching up to him.

"He came just in time, too," the brunette said, adjusting her son on her hip as she turned to face them.

"Hiei always has a knack for always there when you need him," Botan commented warmly.

Hiei wasn't sure if she was doing it to tease him, if she was trying to keep up appearances or if she meant it genuinely, but he did not like any option so he squashed the thought entirely.

"Hiei!" the boy said, more clearly this time, startling both him and the ferry-girl.

She was the first to snap out of it, moving to get a closer look at the child.

"Well, aren't you the cutest thing ever," Botan cooed.

"He's taken such a liking to Hiei, but don't worry, Botan, one day he'll say your name, too," the brunette soothed.

The ferry-girl grinned as she bopped the baby on the nose lightly with her index finger.

"I'm sure he will," she agreed softly. "Isn't that right, cutie?"

Hiei turned away, crossing his arms over his chest as Botan continued to coddle the child and make small talk with the mother. He had no recollection of them in his memories, and it was clear that Botan didn't either. Her words and actions lacked the familiarity they normally held and she failed to address either by name. As far as he was concerned, the ferry-girl was simply what she did best: getting distracted and wasting time. He cleared his throat pointedly and she snapped to attention.

"I suppose we should be on our way now," she announced. "Hiei and I had a few things to do today..."

"Alright," the woman said. "You two don't be strangers now! Shinji loves seeing you both."

"You got it, neighbor!" Botan replied, her expression lighting up even more when the child released a contented noise in response.

Hiei never understood what all the fuss was about when it came to children, but he waited for her to finish waving at the mother and child until he carried on.

"Wasn't he just the most adorable thing you've ever seen?" she gushed upon entering the elevators and pressing the button for the ground level.

"I fail to see what was so appealing about a tiny, drooling human," he said flatly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"You say that now, but I'm sure you'll be eating your words sometime in the not-so-far-off future."

He frowned, immediately irritated by her ambiguous choice of words and the teasing lilt to her voice.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded to know.

"Once Yukina turns one-hundred you'll have a lovable little niece to dote over. I'm sure your opinion on babies will be changed then."

"It won't matter," he dismissed.

Botan's smug expression fell.

"Why not?"

"Because I intend to keep my distance with her, the same way I did with Yukina."

"Don't you want to get to know her?" she inquired.

"No," he answered evenly. "I don't."

Hiei could see the confusion in her eyes, but he had no intentions of explaining himself. The ferry-girl had nothing except for what the Spirit World had given her. It was only natural that she would long for the things she could not have and view his relationship with his sister as a potential positive. But she could never understand the complexities behind his decision to distance himself from the only person that mattered to him.

And, if it was up to him, she never would.

* * *

Hours had passed since that moment in the elevator, but Botan simply couldn't get it out of her mind. There was something different about Hiei's demeanor when he spoke of his self-imposed estranged relationship with Yukina, something that caused her to worry. His gaze lacked the fiery heat of anger and his words lacked the cold, icy indifference that they usually held. She wanted nothing more than to talk it through with him, but it was clear that this was not the time or place, so distracted herself with her surroundings instead. She had taken Hiei all over the place in an attempt to get them both acquainted with their temporary living conditions and prepare them for the upcoming days. They found the laundry room, the parking garage (where they located their black sedan, much to Botan's glee and Hiei's boredom) and their storage unit in the basement of the complex. They ventured outside next, where they strolled around their neighborhood without the pressing need to find the lizard demon weighing them down. Although Hiei was rather compliant and did not give her too much trouble, it was clear that he was still a bit tense and on edge. Botan couldn't help but feel a bit guilty over his current disposition, so she tried to soothe him the best way she knew how to: with conversation.

"Say, Hiei," she began, in an attempt to break the ice. "What's your favorite color?"

He looked over at her, crimson eyes narrowed as they met her gaze.

"What?"

"What's your favorite color?" she tried again.

Hiei continued to eye her strangely before finally answering, "…I don't have one."

"Sure you do, everyone does!" she insisted.

"I can assure you that I never have and never will have a need for something so pointless."

"Well, if you absolutely had to chose one, which would it be?"

Hiei paused to consider her question, expression shifting minutely as he weighed his options. Botan watched him expectantly, waiting with abated breath until he finally opened his mouth to respond.

"…The color of fresh blood being spilt from an enemy's open wound," he replied.

Her expression was overtaken by a look of disgust, causing the edges of Hiei's mouth to quirk upwards.

"Too honest for you, woman?" he taunted.

"Too graphic," she replied. "But I'll take it."

He grunted in response.

"Mine is pink, if you were wondering," she said.

"Predictable," Hiei scoffed.

"You didn't let me finish! I also like purple and yellow," she continued, counting them off on her fingers. "Oh and I absolutely adore certain shades of orange and green and-"

"You may as well just list the entire rainbow; it's clear that there isn't a thing that you don't like, which is even more typical of your nature," he interrupted.

"I simply have a healthy appreciation for most things, which is more than I can say for you," Botan retorted.

"You say that as though it's supposed to bother me."

She resisted the urge to stick her tongue out at him, settling for a withering look instead. Hiei seemed to be easing up a bit – if that was possible for a man like him – so she continued with her attempts to get to know him better.

"What about your favorite hobby?" she asked as they fell into a comfortable stride. "And don't say fighting, that one is too obvious."

"Fighting isn't a mere hobby, woman, it's a warrior's way of life. And finding a worthy opponent is the ultimate goal," he responded. "The thrill of battle, the risk of danger and the uncertainty of the outcome - it all excites me."

Botan's brows crinkled as a questioning frown slanted her lips.

"But don't you ever get afraid?"

"No, I don't."

"Not even of getting horrifically injured or worse…?"

"If that happens, then I haven't trained enough and I deserved it," he asserted firmly.

"That's a severe way of looking at it," she pointed out.

"Call it what you like, it doesn't change the truth of the matter. I wouldn't expect a peace-loving ferry-girl to understand the ways of a warrior."

She opened her mouth to protest, when Hiei continued.

"In any case, I believe it's your turn now, woman," he said, glancing her way.

"Me?" she asked, pointing at herself incredulously.

"If I am forced to answer these silly questions, then you should, too," he reasoned.

Botan blinked in surprise, eyes widened a fraction. She didn't expect Hiei to show any interest in her and it was certainly a pleasant surprise.

"Well, I've got many hobbies, but I have to say that my favorite is flying in the human world's skies. The air is clean and crisp and the sky is filled with beautiful hues and shades of vibrant colors. It really is a wonderful and freeing experience."

Hiei's gaze drifted up to the blue sky in observation, before he nodded his head in understanding.

"How about your favorite place?" she asked next. "I enjoy the gardens in the spirit world. They're quite tranquil and beautiful. It's always nice to go there when my mind is troubled."

"…I prefer the valley of solitude in the demon world."

"Because its desolate and devoid of life?"

"Because it's peaceful and it helps me think."

"What does it look like?"

"It's just a valley," Hiei said, unconcerned with the finer details. "Though I suppose it's filled with plants and flowers that a person like you might find visually appealing."

"Really?"

He nodded silently.

"What kind?"

"I wouldn't know; I don't make it a habit of admiring them."

"Well, vivid description aside, it certainly sounds like a nice place."

Hiei let out a low hum of agreement, but it was soon lost in the stifled ringing emitting from Botan's purse. As she fumbled with the bag, she found herself missing her trusty pink kimono and the ease of accessibility it brought with its oversized sleeves. Eventually she managed to locate the device and bring it to her ears.

"Hello?" she answered tentatively.

" _Hey Botan,"_ Kuwabara greeted. _"I was just wondering what time me and Yukina should come over?"_

"Huh?"

" _For dinner?"_

"Oh…" she said slowly, glancing over at Hiei worriedly.

" _Don't tell me you guys forgot! Yukina woke up early to make all of Hiei's favorites, too!"_

"We didn't forget," she assured him. After all, in order to forget something, you had to be aware of it in the first place. "What time were you thinking?"

" _I get off at four and Yukina will be done by six. How about six-thirty?"_

"That sounds just peachy."

" _Alright. See you later."_

"Bye!"

She ended the call and glanced over at Hiei uncertainly. The tension had returned to his features and in his posture; his previously agreeable disposition was lost to her once more and replaced with the more familiar look of hard lines and an unforgiving stare.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone indicating that he already knew what was going on.

"Apparently Yukina and Kuwabara will be joining us for dinner this evening," she announced hesitantly.

"Cancel it," he ordered immediately.

"We can't do that; I just told Kuwabara that it was fine to come over!" Botan said.

"I don't particularly care to see the oaf," Hiei objected.

"I know you don't, but at least Yukina will be there, too," she noted soothingly.

"I don't want to see her, either."

"That's a horrible thing to say about your sister," Botan reproached.

"I don't care."

She frowned at him, completely shocked that he would say something so callous about Yukina of all people.

"Don't give me that look, woman," Hiei huffed.

"I just don't see why it has to be this way," she said honestly. "If I was lucky enough to have someone as sweet and kind as Yukina for a sister, I'd want to spend as much time as I could with her. Why are you so averse to it?"

"It's none of your concern, so stop prying," he warned.

"I'm just trying to understand you," she confessed. "If you would just tell me what's on your mind, then I wouldn't have to pry in the first place."

"And if your life wasn't so lackluster and empty, you wouldn't feel the need to insert yourself in the affairs of others," he snapped harshly. "But unfortunately for the both of us, that is just the hand you were dealt with."

Her frown deepened in a mixture of disbelief and confusion, unsure if she had heard him right.

"…What?"

"I've seen the unhealthy interest you take in the lives of others, but I won't allow you to do it with me," he divulged. "My affairs are mine and mine alone. If you need entertainment or something to satiate your pesky curiosity, you had best find it elsewhere."

Botan swallowed down the lump in her throat and tried to ignore the hurt rising and resting heavy in her heart. She inhaled a shaky breath and kept her eyes on him, even after they started to fill with tears.

"I can't believe you would say something like that," she breathed out. "I only bothered asking because I care about you and Yukina. We might never have been particularly close, but I've always thought of you as a friend and I've only ever wanted what was best for you. For both of you."

Hiei's eyes widened slightly, losing some of their ire as he stared back at her wordlessly.

"And contrary to what you may think, Hiei, words actually can hurt. I may not have a family or a conventional life in the same way as you or the others do, but that certainly doesn't give you the right to judge or belittle me because of it!"

Botan began to walk away, her tears threatening to spill over the corners of her eyes when she felt a hand grab a hold of her arm. She tried to pull out of Hiei's grasp, but it was a futile effort on her part: even without his super human strength, he was still much stronger than her.

"Let me go," she ordered, turning her face away from him as though that were enough to prevent him from seeing just how much his coldhearted words had affected her. "Hiei, please, just-"

In one swift motion he had pulled her directly in front of him, where she was forced to meet his gaze. His scowl loosened until his lips formed a neutral line and his eyes were clearer than before, no longer clouded by the darkness of his anger. Any words of protest that she had quickly died in her throat as she took in his expression; if she didn't know him any better, she would think that he was showing signs of regret.

"…I don't talk about my private life," he revealed quietly. "Especially not where Yukina is concerned."

"You could have just told me that instead of saying all of those hurtful things."

"I did, but you refused to listen," he reminded her.

"Well, that still doesn't give you a right to be so mean," she sniffled.

"I know," he agreed.

Her expression softened as he finally released her. She was sure that this was the closest thing to an apology that she would ever receive from him, and she was a bit comforted by the fact that he had even attempted it in the first place. It clearly wasn't easy for him and she supposed she didn't make it any easier with her pestering. Perhaps one day he might be willing to tell her the truth, but she had a feeling that it would not be today. She was just about to suggest that they continue their short trek home, when Hiei spoke again.

"My secrecy was the price I paid for the jagan," he said, gaze averted just beyond her reach.

"Your secrecy?" she echoed in confusion.

"The surgeon who implanted the jagan did it under the condition that I never reveal myself to Yukina."

Her expression fell into a look of shock as she processed the fact that Hiei had had actually told her something private and then her features sharpened into a look of angered confusion when she realized exactly what it was that he had said.

"Why on earth would he do such a cruel thing?"

"I didn't care to know, but his stipulation was an easy price to pay when I never intended to reveal myself anyway."

"Why not?"

Hiei looked at her, a new and foreign quality to his gaze.

"That much is obvious: I could never be the brother she needs me to be."

"But you can," she urged, taking a step closer to him and resisting the urge to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You just have to give yourself the chance to."

"Not everyone is built the same way as you are, woman."

There was something about the tone of his words and the look in his eyes that allowed Botan to see the truth behind his sentiments. Hiei didn't simply think himself unfitted to be the type of brother that Yukina deserved; he believed himself to be unequipped for any sort of meaningful bond with anyone. The concepts of friendship, family and love were so unfamiliar to him that he had no other choice but to conclude that his heart couldn't work that way. He seemed to be wholly resigned to his supposed fate, stoically accepting the hand he had been dealt with a toughened heart and a grim perspective and it was enough to break her heart into pieces.

* * *

Hiei hardened his gaze once more, instantly regretting the fact that he had revealed so much to the ferry-girl. Although his words were vague, she knew the truth behind them. She heard the words that he did not outright say.

It wasn't as though it was a secret. He had often claimed that friends were a crutch for the weak and that love was for fools, but he never once admitted to anyone that his beliefs were based off of the fact that he did not have the capacity to feel those things. He thought them to be foolish and unnecessary because he had seen how weak it had turned the others. And if he had survived until now without it, then it wasn't necessary to survive and grow.

But the ferry-girl knew. He could see the understanding swirling around inside those amethyst pools and instead of pity or sympathy, her expression rested on a sad gaze and frowning lips.

"Do you want Yukina to be happy?" Botan asked, looking at him seriously.

"What kind of question is that?" he scowled.

"A valid one," she replied, her tone level and even.

Hiei paused, unwilling to traverse the road she was trying to lead him down all the while knowing that there was no way around it.

"Well, do you?" she pressed.

"…If anyone deserves happiness, it's her," he admitted.

Botan smiled softly, apparently satisfied with his answer.

"The fact that you want her to be happy proves that you've got a heart buried underneath all of that denial, mister," she concluded, tapping a finger against the middle of his chest. Her touch was light, but unexpected and he found it difficult to forget it long after the contact ended. "You clearly have the capacity to care, you just haven't seemed to realize it, yet."

Hiei frowned. His responsibility to Yukina had nothing to do with emotions and everything to do with honor and duty. She was his sister – the only family he had left – it was his responsibility to ensure that she was taken care of. That was all there was to it, but Botan seemed to think otherwise.

"You don't know what you're saying," he dismissed defensively, hackles rising as he became extremely uncomfortable with the sudden shift in atmosphere.

"Sure I do," she answered. "I know that nothing I say can convince you to tell Yukina the truth, but I still think she should have the chance to know her brother. I have a feeling she'd like him."

"How could you possibly know a thing like that?" he asked bitingly.

"Because I like you, Hiei," she replied simply.

His glower had vanished in an instant, temporarily caught off guard by her words. No one had ever said that to him before. No one had bothered saying most of the things that she had said to him before.

"You're rude and gruff and you've got a dark sense of humor, but you're also honorable and brave and loyal and steadfast," she continued. "And if I can see the good in you, then surely your own sister can, too."

He searched her gaze for any signs of deceit or duplicity, but all he could find was plain and simple honesty.

"…You say it as though it was all so easy," he said.

"It is that easy," she affirmed. "Relationships might be tricky and complicated, but love – in any sense of the word – comes easily. You may not believe me now, but I think there's hope for you, yet."

He followed behind her as she began walking back to the apartment complex, his steps slow and senses dulled to the outside world as he desperately tried to understand what this feeling was that had built up inside of him. Perhaps her strange words and calming presence had messed with his mind or perhaps being in this wretched dimension had done something irreversible to him, but when she spoke the words that he never thought he would hear with such surety in her heart and sincerity on her lips, Hiei almost wanted to believe in everything she said.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and all of the emotions that ran through it. Next chapter should be a little lighter. :)

Thanks for your patience and support!


	7. Chapter 7

The walk home was silent, but Hiei could feel Botan's eyes on him every now and again. Normally, he would have snapped at her and told her to stop her incessant staring, but he lacked the will to do so this time.

The clouds were rolling in to the grey sky and the disorienting feelings of tension and confusion continued to clash around in his gut and rage a storm in his mind, rendering him speechless. The blasted ferry-girl had a habit of doing or saying things that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around and now that they were each other's only link to their own world, these instances happened more frequently and affected him more than he cared to admit.

"Oh no!" Botan gasped, nearly causing Hiei to run into her when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"What is it?" he asked, eyes immediately searching the area for any signs of danger as his body tensed defensively for a fight.

"We don't have any drinks at home!" she informed, turning to view him with an urgent look.

A moment of silence passed between them, her words taking far too long to sink into Hiei's agitated state of mind. Botan continued to stare back at him urgently and his features twisted in a snarl, lips pulling downwards and brows knotting angrily.

"...That's why you shrieked like a fucking banshee?" he growled out.

"We can't have guests over without any drinks!" she explained, completely unaffected by his coarse language and the anger seeping into his tone. "That's just bad etiquette!"

Hiei gritted his teeth together in order to prevent himself from saying something acerbic, fists clenched at his sides as his muscles constricted in anger. When he heard her cry out in alarm, he felt something akin to worry for the woman's sake, but it appeared as though she was simply being her usual, infuriating self. Taking a long and deep breath to ground himself, he fixed her with a stern look.

"Next time, don't make a scene over something so minor," he ordered.

Her expression began to soften and she looked as though she was starting to understand the real reason behind his anger.

"You shouldn't react like that over something so trivial," he berated as he averted his gaze with a frown.

"…I'm sorry if I worried you," Botan began apologetically. "I didn't mean to."

"You didn't," he lied. "The sound of your voice at that pitch was almost as infuriating as that blasted whistle you love to use so much. That's all."

"Well, excuse me for being so annoying," she defended, turning her nose up in the air as she placed her hands on her hips.

"There is no need to apologize; clearly it can't be helped," he mocked.

Her hands fell at her sides as she gaped at him in indignant silence, her pink lips attempting and failing to form words. Eventually, she snapped her jaw shut and folded her arms underneath her chest.

"…You're very infuriating sometimes, Hiei," she stated through a pout.

"Hn, I could say the same about you, woman."

Botan let out a small huff, before she shook her head and afforded him with a more civil and neutral look.

"If I remember correctly, there was a convenience store near the apartment complex. We should stock up on a few things before we return," she suggested good-naturedly.

"Do what you want," he replied uninterestedly. This was her day to venture out, after all.

She led him to a one-story building with the words _Sanada's Convenience Shop_ displayed in bright green green lettering at its front. The name was faintly familiar, like an itch that he couldn't scratch.

Botan entered first, a small bell overhead signaling their arrival and alerting a teenaged boy to their presence.

"Welcome," he greeted automatically, not bothering to look up from his task of sweeping the floor.

He was unrecognizable to Hiei – just another insignificant human taking up space – but Botan froze in her spot, tilting her head slightly as she examined the brown-haired teenager.

"Kaisei?!" she asked tentatively.

He snapped to attention, blue eyes swimming with recognition as he flashed both of them with a wide and excited grin.

"Oh hey, guys!" he greeted cordially. "What brings you to our humble shop today?"

"Uh, well, we were just going to pick up a few drinks," Botan replied. "We're running a bit low."

"Got ya," he said with a nod. "Let me know if you need anything. Fubuki's in the back, but she should be out to ring you up soon."

"Okay."

Kaisei went on ahead, sweeping the floor and whistling a tune that Hiei didn't recognize. When the boy was far enough out of sight, he turned to Botan.

"Who is he?" Hiei asked.

"He's the eldest child of one of our retired spirit detectives – Kuroku Sanada," she answered quietly from behind her hand. "I certainly didn't expect to run into them here, nor did I assume that we knew each other so closely."

"Sanada… she was the detective who went into seclusion prior to Sensui," Hiei recalled, having heard that name years ago during the whole Chapter Black fiasco.

"Bingo! Though I suppose there was no need for her to go into seclusion in this world, considering there is no Spirit World and no Spirit Detective role for her to retire from in the first place," Botan reasoned.

He grunted dismissively. They had run into many familiar faces, but none of them were remotely close to the one that Hiei wanted to see. He wondered how long the lizard demon would continue to elude him with a frown as he followed the woman into the refrigerated section of the store. It was only a few days, but he felt as though he had been here for far too long. He had been forced into so many degrading human actions, but nothing was worse than living in close proximity with the ferry-girl. She had a peculiar way of affecting him like no one else ever had before. Wielding nothing more than simple words and genuine affections, she managed to cut through his guard more effectively and deeply than any other foe. He had never met anyone as accepting, open and emotional as her and it unnerved him more than he cared to admit.

His train of thought was abruptly interrupted when Botan pushed a case of beers into his hands and then handed him a carton of some sort of fruity juice.

"I'm not your pack mule, woman."

"I can't possibly hold everything on my own," she rationalized. "Be a gentleman for once, Hiei."

He grumbled a curse under his breath and trailed after her as she strolled ahead with her arms swinging free. Soon enough, she began stock piling prepackaged meals and items that Hiei was unfamiliar with into her own hands. When she had her fill, they made their way over to the counter in the front of the store where a brunette with a striking resemblance to the boy from before instantly perked up.

"Hey Botan!" she greeted, brown eyes sparkling in excitement. "Hiei."

"Hi there, Fubuki," Botan returned with a bright smile. "Your brother said that you were around here somewhere."

"I was going to make Kaisei cover my shift, but it's a good thing I didn't. I haven't seen you in forever!" she lamented as she rested her chin in her hand.

"Oh... I'm sorry about that. We've just been busy, is all."

"I figured," Fubuki noted with an understanding smile.

"It's kind of funny," Kaisei said as he strolled up to them, broom in hand. "We live in the same building, but I think this is the first time we've seen each other since our last movie night a month ago."

"Then we should absolutely remedy that!" Botan winked. "You two should come over when you're free!"

"Sounds good to me," Kaisei agreed.

Hiei set the items on the counter roughly and glared at Botan, but neither she nor the teenagers paid him any mind. He had never been one for inviting anyone anywhere, much less his place of dwelling, but he wasn't exactly surprised that the ferry-girl made friends everywhere and basically opened the apartment to everyone.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother," Fubuki replied hesitantly.

"Nonsense… you two could never be a bother," Botan soothed in the kind and reassuring way that only she was capable of projecting.

Fubuki smiled in response and began ringing their items up. For a while, the only sounds heard were the various beeps from the cash register and the rustling of the items being deposited into plastic bags.

"Oh," Kaisei said, breaking the silence. "Looks like someone forgot to take his favorite snack."

Hiei watched in confusion as the brunet rifled through the colorful selection of sweets and then pulled out a chocolate bar with a triumphant grin. His frowned deepened as the boy tossed it into one of their plastic bags without bothering to ring it up.

"What are you doing?" Hiei asked, glaring at the boy.

"Don't worry," Fubuki reassured from behind the counter. "Your super sweet tooth is still our little secret!"

Botan's eyes widened upon hearing the news and Hiei growled in annoyance. No one knew about his affinity for sweets because he had made it a point to never indulge in it in his world. It seemed as though it was a different story here, though.

"That'll be two thousand yen," Fubuki announced.

He watched as Botan rifled through her bills and handed the appropriate amount over.

"That's funny, I was expecting it to be more than that," she mumbled to herself.

"Aw, come on, you know you guys always get the family discount," Kaisei reminded her.

Botan blinked in surprise, before seeming to accept it with a smile.

"That's awfully sweet of you."

Kaisei blushed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's nothin'," he dismissed.

Fubuki shot a knowing look in Hiei's direction and he raised a suspicious brow. If he didn't know any better, he would think that the boy had some sort of affinity towards the ferry-girl. She, however, didn't seem to notice it.

While Botan continued to smother the boy with warm smiles and affection, Hiei rolled his eyes and snatched a majority of the bags off of the counter.

"Hurry up, woman, we don't have all day to loiter around," he ordered.

He stalked ahead, ignoring the humans as they bid him farewell. It was drizzling now, but it was only a mild inconvenience. He could already see the apartment complex from where he stood on the corner of the street and if the woman hurried up, they would soon be under the roof of the apartment building again. Looking up at the grey sky, he let out a sigh. Never in his wildest thoughts would he have imagined that he would fall into a predicament like this. He thought his days of being confined to the human world were over, but fate seemed to love to screw with him. He watched as Botan exited the store, bags in tow and a pleasant smile on her face.

"Weren't those two the sweetest?" Botan gushed.

"I wouldn't call them that."

"And speaking of sweet, who would have thought that the big and bad wielder of the darkness flame had a sweet tooth!"

"Woman-"

"I never would have guessed that you enjoyed sugary confections," she continued.

"I don't enjoy such things."

"But Kaisei said-"

"The boy was mistaken."

"I don't think he was," she sing-songed.

Hiei glared at her fiercely.

"If you tell anyone about this-"

"-My death will be swift and sure, I already know the drill," she filled in.

"Good," he said, shoving his free hand in his pocket as they continued on.

By the time they had returned to the apartment, their clothes were dotted with raindrops and Botan's bangs were matted down on her forehead. He ran a hand through his own hair, flicking the excess water off of his hand before moving to deposit the bags on the table closest to him. As the woman began packing the drinks away, he glanced over at the clock on the wall. It was already half past three; Yukina and the oaf would be here in a few short hours and he hardened his expression.

The ferry-girl was under the deluded impression that his presence would be a positive factor in Yukina's life and that they could share the same easy type of relationship that convenience store siblings had, but it just wasn't that simple. He stayed away for his sister's benefit and, if he was being completely honest, for his own as well. He didn't know the first thing about relationships of any kind and he preferred to continue living the life of solitude that he had come to find comfort in.

His ears detected the faint sound of his phone, so he turned to where the ferry-girl had put it to charge. Employing the swiping technique that Botan had taught him earlier allowed him to reach his messages, his eyes widened slightly when he realized that the sender was none other than Yukina.

" _Looking forward to seeing you later, brother."_

He frowned down at the message. The others had confirmed multiple times over the course of their last gathering that both he and his counterpart shared the same brand of personality, but even so, Yukina was still eager to spend time with him.

Then again, in this reality he wasn't an outcast, cursed from birth and born and raised a killer. The Hiei that this world's Yukina knew was just a simple human, nothing more and nothing less. If she knew the things he had done and the way he had reveled in it, he doubted she would want to be in the same room as him, much less be burdened with the knowledge that they were related by blood.

"Say Hiei?"

He placed the phone face down and looked over at her wordlessly, waiting for to continue with a tight frown pulling at his features.

"It's too late to cancel on Kuwabara and Yukina, but if you still don't want to see them, then you don't have to," she said carefully.

He was well aware of that, but the fact that the meddling ferry-girl had suggested it was puzzling.

"If you're not entirely up to it, then you can stay in the bedroom and we can make up a cover story," she continued. "We could say that you're feeling under the weather or hit with some sort of ailment."

"I would never succumb to such weak human infirmities," he rejected, shoving his hands in his pockets with a stubborn scowl.

"Maybe you have a migraine?" she tried, index finger raised in the air.

"Hardly likely."

"Then maybe you're horribly constipated or you've got a nasty case of the runs!" she exclaimed.

He blinked in surprise, before his face twisted into a grimace.

"...Really, woman?"

She laughed sheepishly before waving a dismissive hand.

"Well, we've got time to figure it out. I just wanted to let you know that whether you see Yukina or not is completely up to you."

"I already knew that."

Her expression fell, prompting him to continue.

"But I suppose your reminder was useful," he conceded reluctantly.

She brightened up considerably and strangely enough, the tension coiling within him began to loosen and unwind.

-x-

Hours later, there was a knock at the front door. He stopped scrolling through his phone to glance back at the bedroom door. The ferry-girl was still in the bathroom doing Enma knows what and since Hiei had no intentions of making Yukina wait around in the hallway, he stood up from the couch. When he opened the door, the very first thing he saw was her smile. The expression wasn't particularly uncharacteristic of her, but the affection and acknowledgment in her ruby gaze was an entirely new development. She regarded him with such open warmth and care and he almost did not know what to do with himself. He tapered his expression and kept it neutral, nonetheless; unwilling to convey the hesitance he felt inside.

"Hello brother," she greeted, her hands laden with plastic containers filled with food. It smelled delicious and it was only then that Hiei realized that all he had eaten for the day was that disgusting excuse of breakfast Botan had afforded him with earlier. Behind her stood the oaf, carrying an umbrella in the crook of his arm and some sort of boxed dessert.

"Come in," Hiei said, stepping aside so that Yukina could enter the apartment. He seriously considered slamming the door closed before Kuwabara could make his way inside, but then Yukina would be upset and the ferry-girl would lecture him to no end on the importance of respect and friendship and other nonsense that he could not be bothered to care about. He regarded the other man with a scowl and a grunt instead and left it at that.

"Hello to you, too, Hiei," Kuwabara grumbled as he stepped inside.

He crossed his arms and looked away, eyes inadvertently landing on Yukina as she placed the bags on the dining table. The oaf followed suit and by the time they had returned to where he stood in the living room, the ferry-girl exited from the bedroom. She had done something different with her hair, forgoing her usual style for some sort of braid, and changed into a pair of jeans and a pink sweater. He should have known she was taking so long to prep her appearance; she had always been unnecessarily obsessed with fashion.

"It's absolutely disgusting out there," Botan said. "I'm glad to see that you two made it here without getting soaked."

"Yes," Yukina agreed. "It's a good thing Kazuma remembered to bring an umbrella."

"That's our warrior of love; a thoughtful and kind gentleman to the end," Botan commended. She looked over at Hiei expectantly. "I think that Hiei might be coming down with something, though. We were outside earlier and he didn't even bother bringing a jacket. It might be best if he retired for the night…"

Yukina looked over at him with concern pinching her features, but Hiei was too surprised by the fact that the woman had kept her word, rather than insisting that he stay out here and spend time with them. It certainly would have been easier to avoid everyone for the remainder of the evening, but he could not forget his sister's earlier text message and the way she smiled at him when he met her at the door. He didn't want to be the one to ruin her mood and if that meant he had to put up with Kuwabara's irksome presence for one lousy night, then so be it.

"I'm fine," he said instead.

"Really?" Botan asked, brows lifted in surprise as she blinked over at him.

Hiei nodded resolutely and Botan seemed to understand his intent, her features drawing into a pleased smile.

"Alright then," she said, her lips stretching into a full grin. "How about you all take a seat and get comfortable while I set the table?"

"I'll help you," Yukina offered, moving over to join Botan.

The ferry-girl shook her head adamantly.

"Nonsense, you've already done more than enough," she declined. Amethyst eyes landed on Hiei for a brief moment, before settling on the oaf. "Kuwabara, how about it?"

"Sure," he agreed, moving closer towards her.

Hiei's expression darkened when he realized what was happening. If the two of them went off on their own, then he would be left with nothing but his sister's presence. She would undoubtedly expect him to behave like the other Hiei, but he didn't know the first thing about being a brother, much less being the brother that this Yukina seemed so fond off.

"Woman," Hiei interrupted, giving Botan a pointed look.

"Huh?" she asked, pausing to blink back at him in confusion.

He glanced over to the bedroom door and she seemed to take the hint.

"Um, will you two excuse us for a moment?" Botan requested sheepishly. "Make yourselves at home; we'll be back in a jiffy!"

He could hear her light footsteps trailing behind him as he entered the bedroom, his footfalls heavy and his shoulders tense. His decision to stay was a horrible idea. He thought the ferry-girl understood and respected his wishes, but clearly her meddling ways were rising to the surface again.

"Is something the matter?" Botan asked as she closed the door behind her softly.

"Don't pretend as though you don't know," he accused.

"What do you mean?"

"I know what you're trying to do ferry-girl, and I don't appreciate it."

"You have to be a bit more specific than that..."

"Don't play dumb with me, woman," he snarled. "I know that the only reason you asked the oaf to help you was so that I will be left alone with Yukina."

Botan let out a small gasp, eyes wide in realization. He crossed his arms over his chest irritably as she took a step closer towards him.

"Oh, Hiei, It wasn't like that at all," she argued with a shake of her head. "Yukina went through all the trouble of cooking, so I couldn't possibly ask her to help out any more than she already had," she explained. "And you've proven that you don't want to do anything helpful at all, so the only one I could turn to was Kuwabara. In fact, back in our world this was sort of a routine that he and I shared. Yukina would grace us with her cooking and he and I would often set the table beforehand and clean up afterwards."

Hiei's shoulders fell slightly, some of the tension draining from his posture and his features as her words sunk in.

"I mean it, Hiei," she continued on. "I was very happy that you decided to join us, but I wouldn't want to push you any further than you were willing to go."

"...So this wasn't a half-brained ploy to bring Yukina and I closer together," he confirmed.

"Cross my heart," she promised, tracing a small index finger over her chest with a dutifully.

He could not detect a single hint of deceit in her candy-colored eyes or in her dulcet tone, so he had no choice but to believe her.

"But now that you mention it…" Botan began hesitantly. "It really wouldn't hurt to spend some quality time with her. I'm sure she would appreciate it."

"…I wouldn't know where to start," he admitted lowly, eyes cast downward.

"You'll figure it out," she urged confidently. "You always do."

He lifted his gaze to meet hers questioningly, completely and wholly unable to understand the unwavering confidence she had in him.

"But if you absolutely cannot stomach the thought of it, then you can always help me set the table instead," she finished.

Hiei briefly contemplated her offer, before shaking his head. If he continued to avoid Yukina, she would get suspicious. He had to play the part of the other Hiei, even if it would be grueling and uncomfortable. He had never been one to shy away from anything before, and he had no intentions of starting now.

"That won't be necessary," he said, steeling himself. "Let's go."

Botan nodded in understanding and followed after him. When they returned to the living room, they found Yukina and Kuwabara on the couch. He was complimenting her on her appearance and her personality – much like he did in Hiei's reality – and he had to fight the urge to say something spiteful.

"Is everything alright?" Yukina asked, noticing them first.

"Just peachy," Botan reassured with a grin.

"It's best not to ask, my love," Kuwabara said in what he thought was a hushed tone. "I don't even want to think about what happens between them behind closed doors."

Hiei rolled his eyes as Botan turned bright red.

"Kuwabara!" she squawked, her voice rose in pitch and volume. "How dare you accuse us of being lewd? Hiei and I were just having a civil conversation."

"Don't play innocent, Botan," Kuwabara retorted. "Urameshi told me all about the time he caught you two in the-"

"Kazuma," Yukina cut in pointedly.

"Oh," he paused, before giving her a shamefaced look. "I'm sorry, my love."

"Let's just go set the table," Botan urged, before heading off into the dining room.

Hiei watched Botan walk off, the tips of her ears still visibly red. Kuwabara followed after her and Hiei shook his head. The fool had no sense of class or tact at all, but it was a bit amusing to see the ferry-girl so flustered. Now that he and Yukina were alone, he moved to take Kuwabara's position on the couch, though he didn't dare sit as close to her as the oaf did.

"I know that you don't really enjoy company, but I'm glad that we can have these quiet evenings together," she disclosed.

"It's not you that I'm averse to," Hiei corrected. "It's the company that you keep."

The corners of her lips tilted upwards slightly, as though she expected his response.

"Maybe one day you will see what I see in him."

"I wholly doubt that," Hiei denied. "He's loud, over-emotional and the complete opposite of you in every way."

"I could say the same about Botan," she countered. "But you two make a lovely couple and you fill each other's gaps perfectly. It's the same with me and Kazuma."

He swallowed thickly. He didn't want to hear about how perfect he and the ferry-girl were for each other, nor did he want to hear about how much his sister adored the oaf. It evoked an almost nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I'm sorry, brother, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," she said, resting a hand on his momentarily.

His eyes widened as he looked over at her. He had thought he kept his expression neutral, but she saw right through him. He wondered if it was an instinctive result of being twins or if it was a skill she had honed in this world because she was afforded the chance to get to know him.

"I know that you don't like to hear such sentimental things, so let's change the subject," she proposed. "How has work been?"

"It's fine…"

"I do worry about you," she admitted. "Yusuke says that you take all of the dangerous cases."

Although it worried Yukina, the idea that this world's Hiei shared his love for danger was a comforting thought. At least he wasn't a coward.

"It's nothing that I can't handle," he reassured firmly.

"I know you're strong. I suppose it's just in my nature to worry."

An awkward silence stretched over them and he supposed it was his turn to show interest in her life now. He remembered Botan telling him that Yukina was a nurse in this world and he supposed that it made sense. The Yukina that he was familiar with had always cared about the wellbeing of others (even if they did not deserve it) and had possessed a mastery over her healing abilities. It wasn't a surprise that she had dedicated herself to helping others here.

But humans had taken advantage of her back in his world and he would hate to find out that it was happening in this one, too. It made his blood boil just thinking of it and he suddenly found himself with the burning desire to know more.

"…What about you?" he returned seriously. "They aren't mistreating you at work, are they?"

"Oh brother, I keep telling you that night shifts are completely normal in this profession," she reminded him. "I might be exhausted, but I'm happy."

He supposed that was all that mattered when it came to her.

"I appreciate your concern, though."

He nodded.

"How have things been with you and Botan?"

"The same as usual," he replied stoically.

Yukina giggled.

"All this time and you're still a man of few words. I thought being with Botan might have rubbed off on you a bit, but it hasn't."

If only she knew the irony of her statement. It had only been his third day with the ferry-girl and he had told her more than he had ever told anyone before. The woman had a strange way of slipping through the cracks in his guard, but ultimately, he was the one who had allowed it. He had no one to blame for his weakness but himself and yet, he had a feeling that if he were with any one else, he would not have been so forthcoming with the more private details of his life. She was persistent and he supposed he would have valued that trait if it weren't being used on him.

"Does she still have nightmares?" Yukina asked carefully, glancing over to where Botan was.

Hiei paused to consider her question. She must have been referring to the incident that had brought his and Botan's counterparts together: some sort of stalker case. He had no idea what the other Botan's situation was like, but he had witnessed firsthand how peacefully and freely the ferry-girl slumbered.

"No," he answered finally.

Yukina nodded in relief.

"I'm glad. Botan must feel much safer knowing that you're by her side. Just as I am with Kazuma," she replied fondly.

Hiei resisted the urge to grimace on both accounts. He never liked hearing anyone praise Kuwabara, much less his own sister, but the things she had said about his relationship with Botan was far more concerning. He supposed he would intervene if someone had tried to hurt the ferry-girl; it was simply a part of his honor-code. But the sentimental way that Yukina had spoken about the two of them was just another example of how deeply rooted the relationship was between his and Botan's counterparts. He still couldn't understand the concept of love and he couldn't imagine the thought of being in love with anyone, much less the bubbly ferry-girl.

"Brother?"

He snapped back to reality, raising a brow at her questioningly.

"Are you alright?" she asked, concern lacing through her features and in her ruby eyes. "You seem troubled."

He didn't realize that he was so apparent and quickly shook his head. It appeared as though Yukina saw right through him, though, and her frown deepened.

"I know that you like to keep things bottled up, but it only makes me worry more."

"It's nothing," he dismissed. "You needn't be concerned."

Her expression softened and she nodded in a reluctant sort of understanding. She knew him well enough not to press the issue, he realized, and for that, he was grateful.

* * *

Botan began searching the cupboards, still unused to the layout of the kitchen and the location of its many items.

"Now, let's see. We'll need some plates and utensils and cups..."

She pulled open a cupboard door, frowning when she was greeted with nothing but teacups and saucers. She reached for another one, but was dismayed to find that it housed various types of bowls. Kuwabara was staring at her with a confused frown and she started to panic.

"We did some reorganizing," Botan explained awkwardly. "I still haven't gotten used to where everything is..."

Kuwabara's frown grew as he crossed over to her side and opened the cupboard to her left.

"Looks like you guys kept the plates in the same spot," he noted, before reaching down to pull open a drawer. "And the forks and stuff are still here, too."

"Oopsies," she said, pulling one of her many cat-faces. "Sometimes I can be such a scatterbrain."

"...Are you sure you're feeling okay? Maybe you're catching whatever you thought Hiei had."

"I'm just fine," she replied as she began pulling out the plates. "Would you mind taking care of the utensils and glasses? Oh, and the drinks are in the fridge."

"Sure," he complied.

Botan watched as he did as he was told, committing the location of everything to memory. The easy way that Kuwabara moved around their kitchen must have meant that he and Yukina came over regularly. It was a nice thought; they were all just as close as they were in her reality.

They both set the table in silence, but Botan couldn't help but sneak glances over at Hiei and Yukina seated on the couch in the living area. A swell of pride and warmth welled up in her chest as she took in the sight of the siblings interacting. The fact that he had chosen to go against his instincts and stay with them had spoken volumes about his character. This was the man that she knew was under the surface. The one who would do anything for his sister; the one who had the capacity to care and feel and be unselfish.

Perhaps their time here would be good for Hiei in ways that he couldn't see.

"It's nice seeing the two of them together like that, isn't it?" Botan said softly.

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed with a nod. "I mean, shorty's the worst, but he treats Yukina right and that's all I can ask for."

She hummed in agreement.

"Besides, Yukina wants to make up for as much lost time as she can, so I really can't blame her for wanting to spend more time with him," Kuwabara noted as placed the last glass down on the table.

"…Make up for lost time?" she echoed in confusion, turning her attention back to Kuwabara.

"You know…" he said, scratching the back of his head. "Because they were separated at birth."

"Right…" she nodded, storing that information for future reference. "I still can't believe something like that happened."

"Me neither," Kuwabara agreed. "But at least they found each other eventually."

"Yes, I suppose that's all that matters in the end."

Kuwabara nodded, gazing tenderly at Yukina.

"Yeah."

She couldn't help but smile at the affectionate way Kuwabara regarded Yukina. No matter the time or place or dimension, his love always rang true and ran deep. It was a sight to behold, something truly special that Botan had never seen anywhere else in all of her time as a ferry-girl.

Sometimes she wished that she might find a love like that one day, but she knew that it was nearly impossible due to her lifestyle and circumstances. Her eyes involuntarily drifted over to the stoic man seated on the couch. He might have been rough and curt and gruff on the outside, but she had seen glimpses of the man beneath that hardhearted exterior and she found herself drawn to him. It wasn't romantic - no, she would save all of that for her counterpart - but it was still valid and genuine nevertheless. She cared about him and she wanted him to be happy.

Kuwabara let out a low chuckle and Botan looked over at him.

"What?"

"It's just… it took some time for all of us to wrap our minds around the idea of you and Hiei being together," Kuwabara recalled. "But when you look at him like that, there's no doubt about it. You really love him, don't you?"

"I..."

"Shorty's always been so closed off and mean. But if anyone can see the good in him, it would have to be you."

"...There is a lot more to him than meets the eye," she revealed.

"I know," Kuwabara agreed. "It would be nice if he showed it every now and again, though."

"I'll have to agree with you there," she admitted as she moved to arrange the dishes that Yukina lovingly prepared for them. She he looked back over at the twins and called for them. "We're all set!"

Yukina and Hiei joined them shortly after, Hiei choosing to sit beside Botan while Yukina took up a spot across from them and beside Kuwabara.

"It smells delicious," Botan said, clapping her hands together. Her eyes roamed over the expanse of meats, vegetables and side dishes. "I don't even know where to start!"

Yukina smiled graciously.

"Thank you, but it isn't much..."

"I'm sure it will be the best dinner ever," Botan maintained.

"Yeah, Yukina is the best cook I know," Kuwabara supported as he dug in.

Silence enveloped them as they all began to eat. The sounds of utensils hitting plates and glasses clinking against the table were the only things that punctuated the quiet air for a while. Botan glanced at Hiei as he ate, overjoyed to see that he was actually enjoying all of it. He seemed to prefer the meats more than anything else, but she did see him eat his fair share of rice, noodles and vegetables, too. Although Yukina had cooked a lot, nothing went to waste due to both Kuwabara and Hiei's voracious appetites. Once they had finished, Yukina insisted that she help Botan clear away the dishes and wash up the wares. Kuwabara and Hiei sat on opposite ends of the couch, both refusing to say a word to each other as Kuwabara scrolled through the channels awkwardly.

"Do you think we should put them out of their misery?" Botan teased, wiping her hand on a towel and then setting her hands on her hips.

"I suppose we should," Yukina agreed, a small smile on her lips.

As they went out to join the guys in the living room, Kuwabara shuffled over so that Yukina could fit between himself and Hiei. Botan took the one-seater near Hiei and folded her hands in her lap. She had truly enjoyed the evening and she hoped Hiei wasn't having too hard of a time.

"So, any new developments?" Botan asked conversationally.

"I think I'm really making a breakthrough with one of my students," Kuwabara announced. "The one I told you about before, who was struggling with his grades and his attitude."

"That's wonderful, Kuwabara," she replied.

He smiled.

"Kazuma takes such a special interest in his students," Yukina commended. "They're all very lucky to have him."

"Heh, it's no big deal," Kuwabara blushed.

Hiei scoffed and looked away.

"What about you, Botan?" Kuwabara asked.

"Me?" She pointed at herself. "Well… everything is going along just swimmingly!"

"...And what about work? Is that Sakyo creep still hitting on my sister?" he pressed.

Botan's brows lifted in surprise. She remembered that Shizuru had some sort of affair going on with Sakyo during the Dark Tournament, but the brunette was always so close-lipped and private about it. Perhaps the two of them were afforded a second chance in this world and if that was the case, Botan could only hope for the best.

"I doubt Shizuru would appreciate us talking about her love life like this..." she replied finally.

"But she never tells me anything and you know you're my only source of information. Half the time I don't even have to ask you, you just spill the beans anyway," Kuwabara recounted.

"It isn't nice taking advantage of a girl's weakness like that," she admonished.

"Oh, come on, Botan. Just tell me, do you think she'll actually fall for him?" Kuwabara probed, leaning forward a bit in his chair to view her.

"Who's to say... matters of the heart are complicated," she answered vaguely.

Kuwabara sighed.

"You shouldn't worry so much, Kazuma," Yukina soothed, placing a gentle hand on his arm. "Shizuru is a smart woman. She knows what's best for her."

"Sensible as she may be, even the most levelheaded of women can end up choosing the most pathetic excuse of a man," Hiei informed with a wicked glint in his eye and a smirk at the edge of his mouth. It was more than obvious that he found some sort of sick, ironic satisfaction out of Kuwabara's misery.

"Not helping, shorty!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

"I wasn't trying to be helpful. I was making a valid point," he countered.

"Well, if I wanted commentary from the peanut gallery, I'd just ask Urameshi two give us his two cents."

Hiei's features contented in confusion and Botan made the executive decision to cut in.

"If it's any consolation, I've always thought that Sakyo could have been a decent man for Shizuru," Botan said. "And he certainly is handsome."

"I don't know if I trust your taste in men, Botan," Kuwabara said hesitantly.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest tightly.

"You're dating Hiei!" he accused.

"How dare you, Kuwabara. Anyone with two eyes and a brain could see that Hiei is an absolutely swell guy and handsome to boot!" she countered defensively. It was only when she noticed Hiei's eyes on her did she realize what she had just revealed. "I-I mean..."

Yukina covered a giggle behind her hand, while Kuwabara let out a disgusted grimace.

"I think it's nice that you're still always the first one to defend my brother," Yukina said.

Botan gulped and nodded.

"Of course, Hiei is my sweet... honey buns," she finished lamely.

Hiei stiffened and Botan could only hope that he wouldn't kill her for saying so many outlandish things in such a short amount of time.

"Ugh, Botan... that was more than I needed to know," Kuwabara groaned.

"I can't help it, Kuwabara," she said, trying her best to react how she thought the other Botan might. "He's just so... hot," she said, for lack of a better word. She supposed it would just have to do, seeing as he was a fire-demon and all.

Kuwabara opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Hiei.

"That's enough," he said as he stood up rigidly.

"Yes, it is getting late," Yukina agreed mercifully, taking a stand as well.

"Oh wow, I didn't even realize the time," Kuwabara said, looking down at his watch. "We should head out."

Botan nodded as she joined them.

"Hiei, would you help me get the bags from the kitchen?" she requested sweetly.

He rolled his eyes and followed after her wordlessly. Upon gathering up all of the empty dishes that belonged to Yukina and putting them back into their original bags, she looked over at him guiltily.

"I only said those things to keep up appearances," she said quietly. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable."

"I'm fine," he said as he snatched a few of the bags and turned around to exit the kitchen.

Botan was hot on his heels, persistent as ever.

"You look a little tense, though," she pointed out as they passed through the dining room.

"I assure you, I'm not," he gritted.

"Are you absolutely certain?" she pressed.

"I said I'm fine, ferry-girl," he insisted as they returned to the living room.

Kuwabara paused, one arm halfway through his jacket sleeve as he stared back at them.

"…What did you just call her?" he asked.

They both froze as Kuwabara's expression contorted into one of anger.

"Uh, it's just a silly little nickname, that's all," Botan replied hurriedly.

But Kuwabara was too busy glaring at Hiei to hear anything that she had said.

"Are you making fun of me again, shorty?" he barked.

Hiei glared at Kuwabara defensively, not at all understanding what the other man was getting at.

"What are you babbling about?" he asked.

"My dreams… you know they're a touchy subject!" Kuwabara huffed, crossing his arms indignantly while he glowered down at Hiei.

"Again: what are you babbling on about?" he repeated.

"Brother, it isn't nice to tease," Yukina softly admonished with an amused smile. "I think Kazuma's dreams are very interesting."

"His dreams?" Botan echoed, brows creasing slightly as she stared back at them.

"You know… the reoccurring ones where Yukina and Kurama and Hiei are demons, but Hiei's the mean kind and Yukina and Kurama are the nice kind," Kuwabara reminded her.

Botan was at full attention now, leaning closer to Kuwabara in interest. Even Hiei lost all of his ire as the familiarity of Kuwabara's words sunk in.

"And what about me?" Botan asked, pointing to herself. "What am I in your dreams?"

"You're a ferry-girl, remember?" he answered. "And the shrimp thinks it's funny to mock me by calling you that, but it really isn't!"

Botan turned to Hiei, brows lifted and eyes rounded in surprise. Kuwabara's dreams were far too specific to be a mere coincidence. He was a psychic with the power to split dimensions in their world; perhaps the Kuwabara of this world was able to see glimpses of other realities in his dreams. She wondered if the fact that he honed into her reality meant that the two worlds were closely linked or if it was just a simple stroke of good luck - before deciding that it didn't matter. As long as they were still connected somehow, there was a definite chance for them to return home.

"Kazuma often has dreams that they're fighting villains who might disrupt the peace of the various worlds," Yukina recalled with a smile. "And even though we're all from different worlds, we can still work together and get along. Spirits and demons and humans joining together for the greater good; I think it's admirable."

"It's very thrilling. You must tell me more!" Botan urged.

"You always take an interest in my dreams, even though Urameshi and Hiei always have something nasty to say," Kuwabara said with an embarrassed flush.

"Of course I do," she supported. "They're just so interesting. Would you mind giving us a run through of your most recent dream?"

"Yes, oaf, tell us more," Hiei ordered impatiently.

Kuwabara frowned.

"Don't worry, Hiei will keep his mean little mouth shut," Botan reassured.

Kuwabara glanced at Hiei warningly, before giving in.

"I only remember bits and pieces, but I think something bad happened and Urameshi and me were trying to find you and Hiei. Koenma and Kurama were there, too."

Botan clapped her hands together.

"Oh, I just knew it!"

"Huh?"

"I-I mean… you all are such great friends… I know that if anything ever happened to Hiei or myself, you boys would be on the first on the scene…" she amended.

Kuwabara studied her for a moment, before shrugged.

"Anything else you remember?" Botan probed hopefully.

Kuwabara shook his head.

"Nah, that's all."

"Well, if you have any other dreams like that, be sure to let me know," she encouraged with a smile.

"Alright, I will."

* * *

Hiei watched as Botan waved at Yukina and Kuwabara as they made their way down the hallway. Spending an entire evening with his sister and the oaf was something he never thought he would do, but at least he had made it through relatively unscarred. He came to the conclusion that interacting with Yukina wasn't necessarily hard; it was just different. It was clear that Yukina cared for him deeply, but he was entirely undeserving of such sentiments. The sooner they returned to the correct dimension, the better.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked as she closed the door.

"It was just shy of torture."

She shook her head knowingly as she led him back to the bedroom. It smelled like the ferry-girl, and he supposed that was because she was holed up in there for a majority of the time before Yukina and Kuwabara arrived. It wasn't an unpleasant scent, it was just a bit sweeter than he was used to.

"Well, at least we know that Yusuke and the others are looking for a way to bring us back home," she said. "Now all that's left for us to do is to live our counterparts' lives for the time being."

Hiei frowned at the thought of living out the other Hiei's life. These past three days were hell and he knew that they would only get worse from here on out.

"Cheer up, Hiei," Botan encouraged with a pat on his shoulder. "We'll be back home before you know it."

"There is no way of being sure of that," he said.

"Maybe the power of the pendant will eventually wear itself out!" she tried.

"That does not ensure that we will be sent back to our world," he pointed out.

"Well, then, we simply have to believe that our friends will get us out of this mess," she decided with a firm nod of her head. "They always pull through in the end."

Hiei frowned.

"I don't like the idea of leaving my fate in the hands of a lackadaisical detective, a moronic oaf or a toddler."

"It's a good thing we've still got Kurama, then. With his sharp mind and cunning skills, we have nothing to worry about!"

"Hn."

"Come on, there's no point in dwelling on what we can't change."

"I hate to agree with you, ferry-girl, but you do have a point."

She beamed at him.

"That's the spirit!" she cheered, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. "And since we're both in such an agreeable mood, how about you be a gentleman and take the couch tonight?"

He eyed her. The entire left side of the bed open and available and he didn't see the point in sleeping on the couch when the bed belonged to both of them equally.

"There is plenty of room for two on there. In fact, that is the norm in this apartment," he noted.

She glanced around nervously.

"That's because the other Hiei and Botan are in a relationship," she pointed out. "But we are not."

He was well aware of that fact and he never intended to cross any boundaries with her. He wondered why she had gotten so pink and so nervous all of a sudden and scoffed.

"I won't do anything untoward to you," he stated flatly. It was almost a little insulting that she thought he would.

"I know that, Hiei, it's simply the principle of the matter!" she argued.

"You can worry about principles," he scoffed. "I would rather have my comfort."

He stripped his shirt off and then moved to do the same with his pants, when Botan interrupted him.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked, throwing a hand over her wide eyes at the exact same moment as his hands made contact with the waistband of his pants.

"This is how I always sleep," he reasoned.

"That is disgusting!"

"I'm still clothed, woman," he said, gesturing down to his boxers. Normally, he would sleep naked, but out of some sense of respect for the ferry-girl he decided not to.

"You don't seriously expect me to sleep in here when you're like that, do you?" Botan asked.

"I don't care what you do," he replied as he took up his spot on the left side of the bed. "So long as you're quiet about it."

"Hiei!"

He tuned her out, setting his head on the pillow and turning in the opposite direction. If the woman had any sense, she would just shut up and go to sleep. Unfortunately for her, her scruples far outweighed her common sense and moments later he felt the mattress shift beneath him as she exited the bed.

"Fine, I suppose I'll be the only decent one in this apartment," she muttered as she snatched her pillow from the bed. "Goodnight!"

He grunted dismissively, closing his eyes as she stomped out of the room and flicked the lights shut.

She should have just stayed, he thought to himself as the remnants of her scent carried him off to sleep.

* * *

Another chapter down! Next time, Hiei and Botan go to work. Even I don't know how that will turn out yet. ;)


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys! The adorably cute cover art was done by the lovely Line Sagittarius. Thanks again for creating such a beautiful piece! :)

* * *

"Hiei, it's time to wake up now."

"…"

Botan put a hand on his shoulder, trying to rouse him to consciousness. His bare skin was still warmer than most and felt smooth to the touch, but she ignored all of that as she called out to him tentatively.

"Hiei?"

"…"

"Come now, we don't have time to dilly dally," she said as she began to shake him lightly.

He mumbled something undoubtedly rude under his breath and then rolled over onto his other side.

Botan let out a huff, placing her hands on her hips as she stared down at the stubborn man. She was already showered, dressed and ready for work while he was content with sleeping the morning away and ignoring her wake up calls. She had half a mind to leave him here and let him worry about going to the office on his own, but she knew that she could not leave him behind in good conscience. She glanced around the room, eyes passing over the broken alarm clock that Hiei must have destroyed earlier that morning, before settling on the windows with an almost sadistic glee.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" she sing-songed as she pulled the curtains back from the windows and sunlight flooded the room.

Hiei's features immediately twisted into a displeased frown and he peeled open a single crimson eye in order to glare at her.

"Leave me be, woman," he growled out, his voice weary and heavy with sleep.

"I wish I could, but you have to get ready for work, mister," she reminded him.

The only signs of his petulant discontent were marked by the slight crease in his brow and the way his lips twitched downward. It happened so fast, but after a few days of spending time with him in close quarters, she was beginning to pick up on the minute changes in his expression.

"I'm not going," he refused.

"What?" Botan exclaimed. "Why not?"

"Because this isn't my life."

"It may not be your life, but it is your responsibility to uphold the other Hiei's duties while we're here," she argued.

"I don't care."

"And if you fail to complete those duties, then the others will get suspicious!" she continued. "Yusuke will surely think something is wrong if he notices that you've been absent from work for no reason."

Hiei sat up, but made no move to leave the bed. The covers fell and bunched up at his waist and she soon became distracted by the way his muscles flexed and stretched as he crossed his arms over his chest. She gulped and brought her eyes to his face, noting the more contemplative look that had taken over his expression. Perhaps he was finally starting to see reason.

"I'm sure it will be thrilling," she encouraged, hoping that her words might sway his decision. "You'll be a detective again, just like the good old days."

"I was never a detective, woman."

"But you were a part of the team," she pointed out. "So it counts."

"And you seem to be forgetting the fact that I detested it the entire time."

"Oh, but you detest everything," Botan dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"Hn."

"So, you'll simply have to suck it up and go to work like the rest of the adult world."

He grunted again and she frowned down at him.

"Can't you say anything other than 'hn'?" she questioned.

"Hn."

Botan let out a frustrated groan.

"You're impossible, Hiei."

"And you are a nag."

"Well, I wouldn't have to nag you if you weren't acting like a moody child!"

He rolled his eyes, but did not attempt to refute her claim. His jaw was set stubbornly and she could see that he wasn't going to make it easy on her. She had dealt with many difficult souls over the years and she found that the best way to handle them was to simply push ahead stubbornly. She fixed a determined look on her face and turned away from him entirely, instead choosing to cross over to the closet and find something for him to wear. As she took in the sight of the well-stocked wardrobe, she realized that the other Hiei had amassed quite the collection of fine clothing and she briefly wondered if it was due to her influence or if it was because of his own preferences. Although the Hiei that she was familiar with had a penchant for loose and comfortable clothing suited for combat, she had seen him clean up rather nicely on rare occasions, so it would not be all that strange if he was responsible for selection of choices available to them now.

"What are you doing?" Hiei questioned as he watched her pull an outfit out from his side of the closet.

"According to Yusuke, your dress code is a suit and tie. You've got lots more, so if you don't like the one I picked out for you, you can always choose something else," Botan announced as she placed the outfit on the bed.

"You aren't listening to me, ferry-girl," he gritted out. "I have no intentions of going anywhere and playing detective."

"But we have no choice. This is something that we simply have to do."

"We really don't."

Botan placed her hands on her hips and stared down at him imploringly.

"If we don't go to our jobs, we will most likely get fired. Without our jobs, we won't have any source of income, we won't be able to pay our bills and then we'll be kicked out on forced to live on the streets!" she exclaimed. "We have to do this to survive. There's just no way around it."

"…"

"And think of how awful things would be for our poor counterparts upon their return if we let things fall by the wayside," she added.

Hiei scowled.

"I don't care about any of that."

"Well, that's awfully selfish of you," she said disappointedly.

"You sound as though you're surprised," he shot back.

"I am!" she confessed. "I expected better of you."

A flicker of something passed through his crimson eyes, but it vanished before she could determine what it was and any hope of figuring out what was going through his mind was lost to her.

"You shouldn't expect anything from me," he warned. "You hardly know me."

Although his words should have discouraged her, Botan suddenly found herself understanding why Yusuke had such unwavering confidence in Hiei. The fire-demon may talk a big game and play the part of a villain better than most others, but he always came back and he always did the right thing in the end. He always pulled through for them in the end. She just had to believe that he would do so this time as well.

"I may not know you as well as the others do, but I do know you on some level," she countered, holding his gaze with a confident surety. "And that's why I'm positive that you'll pull through when it matters most, just like Yusuke always says."

His gaze fell away from hers and he swallowed thickly.

"…That sort of misguided logic will only disappoint you in the end," he replied after some time.

"Maybe so, but I'm choosing to bet on you, Hiei," she supported. "So, don't let me down!"

Botan then left the room to give him some privacy, closing the door behind her and taking a seat on the couch in the living area. She hoped he would do as she asked, but there really was no telling with him. The seconds ticked on painfully slowly as she listened for any signs of movement behind the room door, and a few moments later, her ears perked up when she picked up on the distinct sound of the water running in the bathroom.

No less than ten minutes later, Hiei stepped out of the bedroom and joined her outside. He was wearing the black suit that she had left out for him, along with the white dress shirt and Botan took a moment to look him over appreciatively.

"Well, don't you clean up nicely?" she praised as she stood up from the couch.

A frown tugged at his lips as he looked down at himself.

"I don't see the point of wearing so many clothes."

"It's fashionable."

"It's restrictive."

"It only feels restrictive because it's well tailored."

He continued to scowl as he held the tie out in his open palm.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he questioned.

"You tie it around the collar of your dress shirt," Botan explained.

His features contorted into a look of confusion and she shook her head with a smile. She supposed it did sound a bit odd, especially to a warrior like him who had no interest in accessorizing.

"Here, I'll show you how," she offered, holding a hand out good-naturedly.

He relinquished the tie to her and Botan took a step closer. Hiei tensed up when she looped her arms around his neck, but she continued on as if nothing had happened, lacing the material around his collar and then proceeding to knot it expertly. She concentrated on the task at hand, rather than the intimacy of her actions, the warmth of Hiei's body heat and the downright sinful way his body wash mingled with his specific scent.

"There," she said, patting the tie down once for good measure and then taking a step back.

"…I feel like a clown," he admitted as he tugged at the front of his suit.

"But you certainly don't look like one!"

His expression remained unconvinced as he continued to frown down at his attire.

"Seriously, Hiei, that outfit looks great on you," she maintained. "It might feel a little strange at first, but you'll get used to it."

He grunted dismissively and looked away, prompting Botan to purse her lips together in an attempt to hide her mirth. He looked sort of cute when he was pouting like that, but she would never admit that aloud. It was certainly a good thing that he didn't have his precious jagan on him at the moment. Clearing her throat, she gained his attention and motioned towards herself.

"How about me?" she asked as she did a little twirl. "How do you think I look?"

Crimson eyes roved over her form before returning to meet her gaze stoically.

"The same as always."

Botan frowned in disappointment. She had chosen to wear a long-sleeved cerulean blouse tucked into a form-fitting black pencil skirt. She had even put on a little mascara to look more mature, but Enma forbid it if Hiei noticed such a thing.

"It wouldn't kill you to pay me a compliment now and again, would it?" she asked.

Hiei's eyes lingered on her for a moment, before he replied.

"Just be satisfied that I haven't insulted you once all morning."

Botan shot him a displeased look, but he remained unaffected as he proceeded towards the door. She retrieved her jacket and her keys, before turning back to look at Hiei.

"Don't forget your wallet," she reminded him as she pulled her jacket on. "Or your phone."

He disappeared inside of the bedroom, presumably to retrieve the aforementioned items as Botan adjusted her purse over one shoulder. He emerged moments later and she spared a moment to take in the sight of him. A fire-demon dressed in formal human wear should have been a strange spectacle to behold, but true to her earlier words, it suited him. As she pulled out a pair of dark heels, she noticed Hiei reaching for the sneakers he had worn the day before. She shook her head in amusement; he really didn't know a thing about fashion.

"You should wear those dress shoes," she advised, pointing to a pair of black leather shoes.

He frowned, but complied nonetheless. His expression soured the moment he slipped his feet in and Botan couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She knew that her sympathy would be mistaken for pity, so she masked it with an encouraging smile.

"Alright, I think we're all set," she concluded after doing a quick mental check of all of her belongings. "Ready to head out?"

Hiei grunted dismissively, exiting the apartment first and continuing ahead without her. Botan merely shrugged to herself before locking up and following him down the hallway.

Their commute to work was crowded, a little overwhelming and more tiring than she thought it would be. Once they exited the train, they followed the same routine as before and soon found themselves walking amongst the busy streets. It reminded her a bit of the halls of the Spirit World, always bustling with life and activity, and she felt a pang of sadness over that. It had only been a few short days since they were expelled from their world and she was already starting to feel homesick. She glanced over at Hiei, wondering if he felt the same. Surely he must have, he simply did a better job of hiding it.

She held onto the belief that Koenma and the others would figure out a way for them to return and tried her best to dismiss all other thoughts as she traversed through the streets with Hiei. There was a quaint little diner on the corner of the block and Botan perked up as she tapped Hiei's shoulder.

"Want to get something from there?" she asked, pointing over to the storefront.

"Do as you please," he told her, not even bothering to look in the direction that she was pointing at.

"Alright," she answered, walking on ahead. She had made it all the way to the door when she realized that Hiei hadn't followed after her. Pausing in the threshold of the diner, called out to him, "Aren't you coming inside?"

"No."

"Hiei!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"Aren't you hungry?"

"No."

Botan knew that he was lying, but she didn't understand why he was being so difficult. She sighed as she threw her free hand on her hip.

"Well, do you have any preferences, at least?"

"No."

She pouted and muttered something about him being completely unhelpful as she headed inside. The place was cozy, decorated with cute fixtures and colors, and there were small tables set up around the open space. If Hiei wasn't being such a grump, they probably could have spared ten minutes to have a nice breakfast together but she shrugged the thought away and fixed her eyes on the menu displayed above. Eventually, she settled on egg sandwiches and made sure that Hiei's was packed with protein, seeing how much he seemed to enjoy the various meats that Yukina had cooked last night.

Upon returning outside, she spotted her grumpy companion leaning against the brick wall of the cafe, eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. He had taken up that same position many times before, but it was strange to see him without his signature cloak and white bandana combo or his sword resting somewhere nearby. Shaking the image from her mind, she took a step forward and met his gaze.

"Here you go," she said as she held a bag out for him.

He accepted it with a nod and then turned towards the direction of Sakyo Corporation. Botan could see it standing tall in the distance and felt a spike of nervous anxiety run through her as she followed after Hiei. The closer they got to their destination, the more Botan's unease began to rise. After years of following the same routine and being so sure and secure in her workplace, it was difficult to imagine starting all over again and trying to fit into a new environment.

She clutched the strap of her purse tightly as she looked up at the grey building; doubt was setting in and washing over her in waves. She knew nothing about human world businesses and had no idea what her position entailed. Biting at her lip worriedly, she wondered how either of them would manage to fare against their respective jobs with little to no preparation or experience. Perhaps this was a bad idea after all.

"I'm a little nervous," she admitted quietly.

"Why?"

"First day jitters, probably," she reasoned. "Plus, I would hate to mess things up for the other Botan."

"Hn."

Hiei didn't look the least bit concerned, posture straight and confident as he stared ahead.

"Aren't you a little scared?" she asked.

"I fear nothing."

"Lucky you."

"You are the one who insisted we do this," Hiei reminded her. "There is no room for second guessing yourself now."

"I know..." she said, eyes trailing up endless floors of the building. "It's just a little daunting, is all."

Hiei finally turned his eyes to her, affording her with a look that fell just beyond his normal, indifferent expression.

"Lay low," he advised. "Pay attention to your surroundings and follow the general rule of order."

She nodded obediently, ponytail bouncing behind her as she did so.

"Do not do anything more than what is expected of you," he continued. "And avoid as many people as you can so that you don't say or do anything wrong."

"That would seem a bit uncharacteristic, though, wouldn't it?"

"For you, perhaps," he acknowledged. "But it can't be helped."

"Alright," she agreed, forcing a smile on her face and hoping that her expression did not betray the inner conflict raging inside. "Wish me luck, Hiei!"

"Don't screw up, woman," he encouraged.

She sent him a withering look and then entered the building.

* * *

Hiei waited until he could no longer see the ferry-girl before turning the other way. He had no intentions of living the other Hiei's life and he certainly wasn't going to go to the other man's workplace. He had only gone through the motions in order to humor the woman, fully well knowing that she would pester him until he did what she thought was the appropriate course of action.

He had made it all of two steps away when an arm hung around his shoulders and the weight of another body rested at his side.

"Hey partner!"

Hiei immediately pushed the stranger off of him with an angered glare. The man was taller and leaner than him with mid-length wavy orange hair, mirthful green eyes a mischievous smile that was begging to be erased. While it was true that Hiei had often overlooked many people and had a habit of forgetting them, he was absolutely certain that he had never met this man before in his life.

"Grumpy as ever," the orange-head said with a 'tsk' as he straightened himself out.

Hiei glowered at the stranger wordlessly, but the man seemed unaffected. He only grinned back at Hiei in the same unassuming and open way that the ferry-girl often had and it made him more uncomfortable than he cared to admit.

"You know, if you were heading to work, you're going on the opposite direction," the man said, a teasing lilt to his voice.

"Why is that any of your business?" Hiei asked, fist clenched tightly around the brown bag that contained his breakfast.

"Uh, because we're partners and it's not like you to play hooky?" he answered.

Hiei grimaced; it seemed as though his counterpart worked directly with the buffoon. He almost felt sorry for the other Hiei: tied down in a relationship with the chipper ferry-girl, working as a detective for Koenma and partnered with an overly cheery moron couldn't have been easy. It was almost as if the universe was playing with him.

The man clapped a hand on Hiei's shoulder, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Let's go, we've got a long day ahead of us, buddy!"

Although Hiei wanted nothing more than to return to the silence and emptiness of the apartment, he knew that his absence would raise more suspicions than necessary now that his moronic partner had spotted him. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he begrudgingly followed after the taller man with a tight scowl painted on his face. When they entered the station, the blue ogre's counterpart was there to greet him with a cordial smile. Hiei chose to afford him the slightest tilt of his head as he passed by and willfully ignored everyone else as he ventured further inside.

He spared a moment to examine the open space with a critical eye. There were two people to a workstation and each terminal consisted of a long, wooden desk, a few drawers and two of those strange computer devices. Large offices were located in the corners of the room and he could see Mukuro's name displayed on one of them. It appeared as though she hadn't arrived yet, though, as the door was closed shut and the lights remained off.

He spotted his name on a gaudy looking mug on the station directly in front of Mukuro's office and strode over to it. As he took a seat and deposited his bag on top of a pile of papers, he was unsurprised to find that his desk was mostly empty. The orange-haired man sat across from him, the name _Haru_ etched into a souvenir on his desk. His side of the workstation was in disarray and contained more personal effects than necessary. The other man caught Hiei's disapproving gaze and proceeded to push a rectangular box towards his direction with a smile.

"Eat up, buddy."

Hiei raised a brow and Haru chuckled as he opened the box and revealed its contents.

"C'mon, take what you want before the hounds come in," Haru encouraged. "And don't try to pretend that you don't want any. I know you love the doughnuts from my family's bakery."

A sweet scent filled his senses and admittedly made his mouth water, but he stubbornly pushed the box aside.

"I don't want any," he lied.

"You sure? It's sweet, it's sugary and it's delicious - just the way you like it."

"I don't care."

"Sure you don't, buddy."

"Don't call me that."

"Alright, friend."

"That either."

"Fine, partner."

Hiei glared at him, but the man only grinned wider, teeth displayed and eyes crinkled in amusement. It appeared as though Haru was immune to Hiei's specific brand of personality, because he shrugged everything off with either a good-natured smile or a lighthearted laugh. It was undeniably annoying, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He silently observed Haru as he took a sip of his drink and pressed a button on his computer, before turning back to face his own screen with a frown. He didn't know the first thing about human world technology, but it couldn't be that complicated. Besides, if he was stuck here for the day, he might as well try locating the lizard demon. Koenma did mention something about the ability to search the system for people if he needed to during his first visit to the station two days ago. Perhaps Hiei could find the one he was searching for here.

Pressing the same button that Haru did caused the machine to come to life. He would have smirked at how easy this whole thing was, but then the screen prompted him to input a password.

His brows furrowed as he shuffled through the many papers on his desk in search for a clue or hint that might help him decode it. Crimson eyes narrowed in annoyance as he shuffled through the desk's contents. Unfortunately, the paper files and notes strewn around were filled with nonsense that Hiei couldn't make sense of.

Looking down at the keyboard, he used his index finger to type in his name, slowly and unsurely. He hit the enter key and was met with an error sign.

Apparently, that wasn't it.

Next, he tried a string of numbers that he had used on a personal safe once.

That wasn't it either.

Her pursed his lips together tightly, wracking his brain for some sort of clue.

"Forgot your password?" Haru asked, rolling over to him on the wheels of his chair. "That's not like you."

"Hn."

"It's probably something unexpectedly cliché like Botan's name and birthday."

Hiei had no idea what it was, but he watched as Haru took the liberty of leaning over and typing in a string of letters and numbers: Botan77.

Hiei didn't know whether he should be embarrassed or grateful when the computer accepted the password and started to display a new set of images.

"Whoa, that actually worked! You really are a big softie inside, aren't you?" the man teased as he threw an arm around Hiei's shoulder.

He shoved Haru away from him roughly and then examined the screen. Of course, he knew nothing about what his job entailed or what any of these applications meant, but he had to at least try.

He glanced over at the orange-haired fool with a stubborn frown.

"Show me how to use the search device," Hiei ordered.

"Huh?"

"I need to find someone."

"Then start up the people finder," Haru said through a mouthful of food.

"What?"

The man swallowed and looked over at Hiei. "Our search application."

"Where is it?"

"The little magnifying glass icon. Just click on it like you always do."

Hiei found what he was looking for, but he had no idea how to access it. His gaze landed on Haru, who was busy wolfing down another doughnut with little dignity. He hated asking others for help, but if he was going to escape from this world, then he would have to shed some of his pride.

"Show me how to do it," he ordered suddenly.

Haru choked and began hitting his fist against his chest until he could breath again.

"Say what, now?"

"You heard me."

"But you already know how to..."

"Just do it."

"Geez, are you hungover or something?"

"...Yes," he answered.

"Wild birthday weekend, huh?" Haru asked, wiggling his eyebrows for good measure.

"Hn."

"Alright, alright, but you owe me," Haru said as he slid over to Hiei's side.

Hiei watched as he placed his hand over the smaller black device (a mouse, as he would soon learn) and the arrow on the screen moved accordingly. He placed the arrow on top of the magnifying glass, clicked the button on the mouse twice and then watched as a new window opened on his screen. So he needed the mouse to maneuver through the computer and the keyboard to input commands. Pitifully simple.

"Who are you searching for?" Haru asked.

"That's none of your business."

"But we're partners."

"And this is a personal matter."

"But we're friends!"

"I highly doubt that."

"You're so cold, Hiei."

Hiei ignored him as he read through the application. His teeth gritted in annoyance when he realized that he needed a name or something specific to use to search for a person. He was hoping he could find a database of some sort and simply go through each entry until he found the lizard demon.

"Any luck?" Haru asked after a long stretch of silence.

Hiei refused to answer, jaw clenched tightly in frustration.

"Guess that's a no," Haru concluded, leaning back into his chair as he took another bite of his pastry.

"Where is Mukuro?" Hiei asked instead.

"She's on vacation. Can't remember when she said she'd be back."

Hiei muttered a curse under his breath, resisting the urge to slam his fists on the desk. He was completely and utterly useless and there was little to no point in even trying to make sense of a world as confusing and disorienting than this one.

"Morning ladies and gents," a familiar voice greeted, cutting into his thoughts and turning his attention towards the door.

"You're late, Yusuke," Koenma noted as he passed by, not bothering to look up from the files he was reading.

"Yeah, yeah, get off my case," Yusuke retorted in that haphazard manner of his as he pushed his shades up to rest on the top of his head. Chocolate eyes locked onto Hiei and his mouth quirked upwards into his signature smirk as he pilfered a doughnut. "What's up, guys?"

"Same old, same old," Haru replied casually.

Hiei pointedly ignored Yusuke in response.

Haru sent Yusuke a knowing look, before raising a hand and mock-whispering, "Oh, yeah, watch out for Hiei, he's a real grump today."

"When isn't he being pissy?" Yusuke snorted as he took a seat in front of his desk.

"That's true," Haru acknowledged.

Hiei rolled his eyes and attempted to tune them out, but found it increasingly difficult to do so. Haru began chattering on about something strange and Hiei could feel his irritation building. The place was a madhouse. Phones rang incessantly; voices carried many conversations at once and laughter and shouts and heated discussions jumbled into one mixed jumble of sounds. Strange words and terms were being thrown around heatedly, only serving to increase Hiei's building feeling of frustration and incompetence. He should have been back home in the comfort of Mukuro's fortress, sword strapped to his side and a clear purpose etched into his mind. Instead, he was stuck inside of a loud station, donned in clothes that fit too tightly and left without the slightest clue of what he should next.

Everything about his situation was all wrong and he wasn't sure how much longer of this he could take.

* * *

Botan entered the enormous lobby and watched as others dressed in smart outfits with cellphones seemingly permanently attached to their hands used key cards to get through the turnstile. She dug through her purse and breathed out a sigh of relief when she found hers. She tried not to look or act suspicious as she passed the security desk and swiped her card against the reader. When she was granted access, she suppressed the sigh of relief threatening to escape her lips and quickly shuffled into one of the elevators that were open ahead of her.

"Hey Bo!"

Botan turned around to see familiar navy-blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hinageshi!" she exclaimed happily. "Oh I could just hug you!"

The redhead's brow quirked upwards.

"It's only been a few days..." she pointed out as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

"Y-yes, that's true. I just missed your upbeat vibrancy is all."

Hinageshi grinned up at her and Botan matched her expression.

The elevator doors opened and the two women moved to allow others to exit while they continued to wait. Botan looked over at the panel of buttons and floor numbers. Surely Hinageshi would have mentioned it if she had bypassed her floor entirely? She continued to wait patiently as they elevator continued moving and became less dense. When they stopped at the sixteenth floor, Hinageshi turned to her.

"Ready for another nine-to-five?" the younger woman asked as she motioned for Botan to go first.

"As ready as I'll ever be..." Botan said nervously as she stepped into their lobby.

Hinageshi used her keycard to get past the glass doors and together, they entered the sixteenth suite. The place was cozy enough with carpeted floors, neutral colors and warm, wooden fixtures and furniture. Cubicles ran along the entirety of the floor, encased by four-feet walls. Large offices occupied the exterior of the floor and there was a break room, kitchen and copy room that was apparently open to all.

The bluette followed Hinageshi until she sighted a cubicle with her name on it. Botan Himura. For the first time since she arrived in this world, she contemplated the origins of her last name. She had no family in her world, but she must have had _someone_ here. She made a mental note to inquire about it sometime as she took a seat and settled in.

The first thing that she noticed was that her workspace felt very familiar to her somehow. It was colorfully decorated with little knickknacks and personal items. She even had a picture of herself and Hiei in a cute little frame and photos of the others pinned to her cubicle wall. It certainly was very homey here.

She started up her computer and blinked when it required her to enter a password. She had no idea what it would be. Looking around, she spotted a yellow post-it and grinned triumphantly. Friday01! She entered her work profile and clicked around, trying to get a feel for what she did here. There were meeting reminders and schedules and all sorts of things that confused her, but it appeared as though she had taken up an administrative role. Well, she supposed that would be much easier to learn than anything having to do with the actual business industry.

Botan strummed her fingers against the desk excitedly, before swiveling around in her chair. Others started filing in slowly and she greeted them all with smiles. She did not really know a majority of the people here, but she figured she would have to learn their names eventually, so she stood up with the intent of taking a stroll around the office and committing the names and faces of everyone on the floor to memory.

Directly across from her was Shizuru's cubicle. It was empty for now, but Botan was sure that the woman would show up eventually. Her area was much barer than Botan's, but there was one picture of the entire gang tucked away in the corner. She smiled knowingly as she continued onwards. She could hear people on the phone or chatting with their colleagues and she traversed through the floor. It certainly was a colorful and lively place to be.

As she rounded the corner, she nearly collided with a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed mogul.

"Botan," he greeted.

"H-hello there, Sakyo," she returned.

"Is Shizuru in?" he inquired, his voice smooth and casual as he slid a hand into his pocket.

Botan blinked. So that's how it was. She swallowed down the sly grin that threatened to curl the corners of her mouth upwards and replaced it with a more unassuming and innocent look.

"I haven't seen her yet, but would you like me to relay a message?"

"No, that's not necessary," he declined with a shake of his head. "I'll talk to her myself."

"I'm sure you will~"

The man paused, caught off guard for a moment, before he raised a brow.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Um, nothing! I really should be on my way!"

Botan skittered away, leaving behind a very confused CEO in her wake.

"Hey, where's the fire?" Hinageshi asked, causing Botan to stop right outside of the break room.

"Uh, I just really have to go to the ladies' room," she lied. "Too much tea."

"You're going in the wrong direction. And you better hurry up; we've got a training session in the boardroom."

"...Training?" Botan echoed, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"The new expenses system?"

"Of course!" she said. "I'll be there in a jiffy..."

Botan returned to her cubicle and pulled out a notebook and a pen, before going off in search of the boardroom. The floor was one big rectangle, so if she followed this path, it would surely lead her to the appointed meeting room. Unfortunately for her, there was more than boardroom and she found herself completely and utterly embarrassed when she burst inside the correct one after everyone was already seated and the meeting had started.

"Nice of you to join us, Botan," a familiar brunette said, teal eyes sharp and tone accusatory.

"Koto..."

"Hurry up and take a seat, we don't have all day," the woman urged.

Botan frowned as she pulled out a chair and took up a spot beside Hinageshi. She had never liked that announcer girl and it seemed like they weren't exactly on good terms in this world, either.

"Don't worry, I'll fill you in on what you missed earlier," Hinageshi said quietly.

Botan gave her a grateful smile and then set her eyes on the screen at the front of the room, trying her best to understand what was going on. It was all strange and confusing and she knew that if she asked questions like she wanted to, she would be doing the opposite of what Hiei instructed her to. So, instead, she simply wrote down what she could gather from Koto's training lessons and pretended to nod along and comprehend everything else.

"That wasn't too bad," Hinageshi said as she and Botan exited the boardroom.

"Yes... it was as easy as pie..." she answered with a forced grin.

When she returned to her desk, she found a folder there with a note attached to it. Apparently, she had just gotten her first assignment. She shuffled through the papers in confusion, not at all understanding what she was supposed to be doing with any of this. Turning around in her seat, she spotted Shizuru across the way and her expression brightened.

She could always just ask Shizuru for help! Her dear friend would be more than happy to assist and give her some well needed training. She was just about to gain the brunette's attention when her good senses returned to her and she realized the folly in her logic. Shizuru would surely find it odd if Botan suddenly asked for her a refresher course on the job she had been handling for years. Her expression fell miserably. She twisted back around in her chair and stared down at the documents once more. There was nothing left to do but to try to figure it out on her own, she decided.

If she put her mind to it, she was sure that she could do it.

-x-

…She couldn't do this. A few hours had passed, but it did not go without incident. Her first day was extremely perplexing and frustrating and when she looked over at the clock and realized that it was barely midday, she sighed. Pulling out her cellphone, she texted the one person who would understand her vexations.

 _'How's it going?'_

Less than a minute later, Botan was startled to hear her phone ping in response. She did not think Hiei would reply at all, let alone so quickly.

 _'How do you think, woman?'_

 _'Well, it can't be as bad as my day! I was late to my first meeting, I broke the copier machine and I messed up an expense report...'_

 _'I don't know what any of that means, but I told you to lay low.'_

 _' :( '_

 _'What is that?'_

 _'It's a sad face.'_

 _'Why are you sending it to me?'_

 _'Because I feel sad!'_

 _'There's nothing I can do about that. And even if I could, I wouldn't.'_

 _'You're even meaner through text!'_

 _'Leave me be if you don't have anything important to say.'_

 _':( :( :('_

She grinned at her childish display of immaturity and was thankful that she was far away from his wrath while simultaneously pitying the poor soul who he would eventually take his anger out on.

"Texting Hiei?" Shizuru asked from across the way.

Botan looked up at Shizuru with an amused smile.

"How did you know?"

"Because you're always smiling when you do."

"Well, he is my... sweet... cherry pie..." she tried.

Shizuru shook her head with a chuckle as she turned back to face her computer screen. Botan returned her attentions to her phone and typed another quick message.

 _'My shift ends at 5:00. What about you?'_

 _'According to the idiot I have been burdened with as a partner, I make my own schedule.'_

 _'Perfect! Do you want to meet up and head home together?'_

 _'I don't care either way.'_

 _'Gee, way to make a girl feel special, Hiei…'_

When he didn't respond, she sent another message.

 _'If you don't mind waiting, we can go home together. If not, just text me and let me know that you already left.'_

' _Fine.'_

The rest of her day went by in a whirlwind of papers, terms that she didn't understand and applications that kept eluding her. It was horrible, but she had somehow managed to make it through.

She stepped outside and took a deep breath, the cool autumn air and the setting sun a welcome shift in atmosphere from the stuffy air inside of the building. She fished in her bag for her purse and called Hiei, wondering if he was still in the general vicinity. He hadn't sent a single text after their conversation a few hours ago and she hoped that he was still nearby. The call went straight to voicemail and she frowned down at the phone in confusion. Turning towards the direction of the station, she decided to walk over to see if he might have forgotten to contact her.

"Hello there, Jorge," Botan greeted as she stopped near the front desk. "Is Hiei still around?"

"Good evening, Botan," he returned with a grin. "I'm pretty sure Hiei went out with Haru."

"Out?"

"They're working on a case."

"Oh..." she said, looking around at the remaining unfamiliar faces before shrugging. "Well, I suppose I'll just go home, then."

"If he comes back to the station, I'll let him know that you went home."

"Thanks Jorge."

He nodded.

As she made her way back to the neighborhood on her own, she contemplated the success of her first day. Work was a lot harder than she expected it would be, but she supposed the worst was over. Hopefully it would become easier from here on out and she felt a sense of accomplishment upon completing a full day.

By the time she had reached the apartment, it was already dark outside and she hadn't received a single message from Hiei. Though she knew that she shouldn't, she couldn't help but worry about him. If he ran into any trouble, it would certainly be difficult for him to face any threats without his usual strength, speed and abilities. She was comforted by the fact that he had a partner with him and hopefully they weren't involved in anything too dangerous.

Botan entered the apartment and proceeded to kick off her heels and flick the lights on. After depositing her bag on the entryway table and shedding her coat, she made her way to the kitchen and put the kettle on. She had intended to take a relaxing bath and unwind in the comfort of their shared apartment, but it simply didn't feel right without Hiei.

Glancing down at the time on her phone, she found herself wishing that he would arrive soon. It was surprisingly lonely without him.

* * *

Hiei fumbled with his keys, jamming it into the lock and ignoring the ache at his side as he pushed the door open. His day had gone from bad to worse when Haru led him on a case that ended up being more dangerous than either of them expected it to be. They were outnumbered and - due to Hiei's lack of knowledge in this world - outclassed. He had fumbled with his weapon - some sort of pistol that he had no prior experience with - and his incompetence had nearly gotten his buffoon of a partner killed. He didn't much care for Haru or his well-being, but the fact that he had been so useless and so helpless stirred up dark feelings within him that he had thought he expelled a long time ago.

"Hiei, you look absolutely horrible," Botan noted as she made her way into the living room to greet him.

He felt horrible, too, but he had no intentions of telling her that. He walked inside and stubbornly ignored the twinge of pain he felt when he applied too much pressure on his leg. If the ferry-girl knew that he was injured, she would worry and fuss over him and that was the last thing he needed.

"Hard day at work?" she asked.

That was a grave understatement, he thought to himself.

"Hiei?"

"What?" he snapped.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, in a soft and sympathetic tone of voice.

"It's fine."

"You don't look fine, though," she pointed out.

She regarded him with a concerned frown and clear worry swimming in her bright eyes. It made him feel sick to his stomach, but more than that, it made him angry. Everything he had strived for amounted to nothing here and, try as he might, he had no hopes of ever understanding or assimilating to this dimension in the same easy manner that the ferry-girl had.

"Would you like something sweet and warm to drink?" she asked.

"No," he answered curtly, although the thought of it was tempting.

"Maybe I could try my hand at making one of those dishes from last night," she continued, completely ignoring his obvious agitation.

"I'm not hungry," he gritted

"Well, we've still got those sweets that Kaisei gave us..." she mentioned amiably.

"I don't want any."

"Then how about some-"

"You're not listening to me, woman," he cut in impatiently. "I said that I don't need anything, so stop pestering me."

"...I'm just trying to help you," she explained.

Hiei's eyes flashed in anger, the sting of incompetence still lingering on him with no intentions of disappearing. Ever since he had gotten here, he had done nothing productive; nothing fruitful. He was weak, useless and incompetent. He hadn't felt this way since he lost his mother's hiruiseki all those years ago and he had since vowed never to feel that way again. But here he was… decades later, brought back to the same desolate mindset. Everything he had ever worked for was snatched away from him and lost to him forever and it was all because of the woman standing before him. That blasted ferry-girl had caused all of this and she still had the nerve to intervene in his affairs and wound his pride by attempting to help him, to pity him.

"I don't need anyone's help," he said sharply. "Least of all yours."

Botan's frown deepened and her brows furrowed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean, woman."

"No, I'm afraid I don't."

He took an angered step towards her and she held her ground, staring back at him with a concern that he didn't need nor did he deserve.

"It means that I don't need help from the one who doomed us here in the first place," he clarified.

Botan's expression dropped and her gaze fell away from his.

"That's not fair, Hiei."

"Isn't it?" he accused harshly. "Your insecure need to be useful is what jumpstarted all of this and landed us in this hell."

"I may have played a part in our being transported to this world, but I refuse to take the blame for your current misery," she said firmly, lifting her gaze up to meet his.

"What?"

"All you've done since we arrived here is get angry and insulting. Maybe if you actually tried to see the good in something for once, you wouldn't be so irritable!" she explained.

There was no good in this situation and the last thing he needed was another dosage of her shallow and naive optimism. She might have been having the time of her life, but he certainly wasn't. His life was perfect. This? This was hell.

"There is nothing good about this situation, woman. I was the general of Mukuro's army and heir to the throne. Life was infinitely better in our reality and while playing human might be a step up for you, it does not appeal to me."

"I had a good life, too!" Botan argued. "I had friends and a place where I belonged. Can't you see that this isn't my first choice either? But instead of being a grouch about it, I'm choosing to see the bright side. Because that's all I have."

He scowled at her weightless words. She claimed that she would rather be back in their reality, but he knew the truth and he had no intentions of letting her pretend otherwise.

"There is no upside to this. Assuming the role of a lowly human might satisfy you, but it can never be enough for me," he spat acerbically. "You could never understand the depth of what I've lost when your life was pathetically empty and devoid of greatness to begin with."

A flicker of hurt passed through her amethyst eyes, but to her credit, she refused to look away.

"If you really felt that my life was so pathetic and so insignificant, then why did you save me?" she asked. "Why didn't you reclaim the artifact and return to your life of supposed greatness?"

"I don't know why I did it," he admitted bitterly as he thought back to that moment. He had acted on some sort of misguided instinct and had inadvertently banished himself to a world he hated with a woman he could barely stand. It was a lapse in judgement and an error that cost him greatly. "Choosing you over the artifact was a mistake I should not have made."

All of the fight drained out of the ferry-girl in that moment, her expression falling as her eyes searched his for something that he knew she would never find.

"…Is that how you really feel?" she asked, voice quieter now.

He could hear the pain in her voice as clear as day and he found himself feeding off of it almost sadistically. For the first time since they had gotten here, she was beginning to loathe their current predicament and a sick satisfaction ran through him.

"I don't say anything I don't mean," he replied coldly.

The ferry-girl was silent for a moment or two, but then she nodded in calm resignation. Her expression had fallen and eyes dulled when she lifted her gaze to meet his once more.

"I see."

He had expected her to flare up in anger and yell at him; he expected her to call him heartless and berate him for his harsh words, but she said no more. Instead, she turned away from him completely, her shoulders lowered and gaze fixed on the ground. Her steps were slow and lacked their usual bounce as he watched her grab a hold of her keys and leave.

The sound of the door closing echoed around the walls of the empty apartment, resounding in his ears and reverberating in his chest long after she left.

* * *

Well, Hiei could have handled _that_ better, but, hey, everyone has their less than stellar moments. Try not to hate our favorite fire-demon too much. He's only human... sort of.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Let me know your thoughts!


	9. Chapter 9

"There, there," Shizuru consoled, rubbing circles into Botan's back comfortingly as the bluette continued to cry onto her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

The two were currently seated on a couch in the middle of Shizuru's living room, the television playing lowly in the background as the sound of Botan's quiet sobbing filled the air. She didn't mean to cry at all, but the pain of her turbulent emotions were quickly spiraling out of control and bringing her down. The weight of her own guilt, the truth in Hiei's callous words, the coldhearted way he had treated her and the stress that came with living in a new dimension had all piled up against the dam that held her tears, breaking it and allowing them to flow freely. Luckily for her, Shizuru was there in her time of need. Everything about the other woman was calming: the soothing tones of her voice, the kindness in her chocolate eyes and the quiet strength of her presence. Even the familiar scent of nicotine that intermingled with her natural scent was calming and comforting to Botan. The elder Kuwabara sibling sat with her patiently and quietly, letting her release all of the tension until the very last tear had fallen.

"Ready to talk about it, yet?" Shizuru questioned softly.

"There's not much to say, other than that Hiei's the worst," Botan murmured quietly. "I don't even know why I bother…"

"I thought everything was going well between you two?"

Botan pulled away from her friend's embrace with a frown.

"I thought so too, but then he said—" She paused, her breath hitching in her throat as she thought back to Hiei's words. She certainly couldn't tell Shizuru the entire truth, considering their fight had to do with the fact that they did not belong in this dimension and she was forbidden from disrupting the world order. Shizuru's features pinched in concern as an elongated silence passed over them and Botan cleared her throat and continued. "He just said such horrible and mean things to me."

"I'm sorry, Botan."

The ferry-girl shook her head.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," she said, wiping at her eyes. "I shouldn't have called you out of the blue like that, I just didn't know where else to go."

"You know you're always welcome here," Shizuru consoled. "Don't ever apologize for something like that."

Botan gave her a little smile and nodded gratefully. She didn't think she could spend another minute with Hiei and his foul mood, especially not when he was determined to take it all out on her. She knew very well that she was partially to blame for what had transpired during the mission, but there was absolutely nothing she could do to make it right. She had hoped that Hiei would look past all of that and forgive her; she thought they could move forward from it all, but it was clear that he still thought of her as expendable and considered her to be nothing more than a liability.

"Hey," Shizuru started carefully. "…Even though he was completely in the wrong, I think we should let Hiei know where you are."

Botan's gaze snapped up to meet the brunette's in confusion.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Why?"

"You know why…"

The bluette's frown deepened.

"I really don't see why Hiei has to know anything," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Ever since the incident, he's always been more protective of you. He'll undoubtedly worry if he doesn't know where you are," Shizuru reasoned.

Botan shook her head adamantly.

"Hiei doesn't care about where I am," she refuted stubbornly. "In fact, he's probably happy that I'm out of his hair."

"You know that's not true," Shizuru denied.

"Of course it is… he's an absolute menace!"

"He can be, but deep down you know that I'm right. He deserves to know that you're somewhere safe and you've got a roof over your head."

Botan frowned miserably at the thought. Maybe the other Hiei deserved it, but the one from her reality couldn't care any less about her. Shizuru's expression softened as she placed a hand on Botan's shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm on your side here," Shizuru reminded her. "I just want to do the right thing."

Botan felt her resolve slipping away upon hearing those honest and sincere words. She had always trusted Shizuru's advice and foresight in the past and she supposed she had no reason to doubt her now.

"…Alright," Botan conceded, relenting to her friend's will with a nod. "If that's what you feel is best."

She watched Shizuru retrieve her cellphone from the coffee table, all the while thinking that it wouldn't make a bit of a difference anyway, considering the fact that Hiei would not care. It was a disheartening thought, but she supposed she would have to make peace with it.

Once that was taken care of, Shizuru had kindly set up the guest room for Botan with fresh new sheets. It was much better than sleeping on the couch, like she had been doing for the past few nights, but no matter how comfortable the mattress was or how nice and soft the sheets were, sleep eluded her all night.

-x-

"Good morning," Botan said cheerily as she stepped into the kitchen. She was pleasantly surprised to see her breakfast already plated in the seat across from Shizuru and a cup of tea steaming beside it.

"Good morning to you, too," Shizuru returned. "Looks like someone is feeling better."

Botan nodded as she took a seat.

"I do," she replied honestly. "I realized that I can either continue to wallow in my misery or I can pick myself up and choose to be happy – I chose the latter."

"That a girl."

"I don't think I would've been able to do it without you, though," she admitted with a warm smile. "Thank you for being there."

"It was nothing," Shizuru replied honestly. "And you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

"I appreciate that."

Botan took in a deep breath and released it. She was determined not to let her fight with Hiei ruin a perfectly good day, so she tried her best to push all thoughts of him out of her mind. But as she ate the delicious meal that Shizuru had cooked for her, she wondered if Hiei had eaten at all last night or if he had the chance to scrape something up for breakfast this morning. He didn't know a thing about this world and he would surely go hungry if she wasn't there to help him out.

"Everything okay?" Shizuru asked from across the table.

Botan looked up from her plate of eggs to fix her with a forced smile.

"I'm perfectly peachy."

"You don't have to do that fake cheer thing with me. You know it creeps me out, so you might as well just be straight with me," Shizuru said flatly.

Botan's posture deflated a bit and her expression fell.

"... I was just worrying about Hiei."

"You were?"

"Yes, I hope he's at least eaten something..."

"He's a big boy, I'm sure he'll manage."

Botan nodded and resumed eating.

"Oh, by the way, I charged your phone up for you," Shizuru informed. "You got a few messages."

"I do?" she echoed curiously.

"Mhm."

She stood up from the table and walked over to where Shizuru had plugged her phone in. The device was all charged up and had a few notifications lighting up the screen: the first one being a funny picture from Hinageshi this morning and the second one a text message from someone named Haru last night. She read over the words curiously, her brows creasing as the words sunk in.

 _'We had a pretty tough night... the case was a bust and I'm sure Hiei took it personally. Let me know how he's doing, will you? '_

"That certainly explains his foul mood..." Botan muttered to herself.

"Did you say something?"

Botan thought back to the harsh and accusatory things he had said to her with a frown. Even if he had a hard time at work, he had no right to take it out on her. The things that he said had hurt her more than he would ever know and she had no intentions of making excuses for him.

"It's nothing," she dismissed with a frown.

After breakfast, Shizuru kindly provided her with some clothing for work and, although it was a little big on her, with a little strategic rolling up of the sleeves and pant legs, she was able to make do. They arrived at the office early and Shizuru headed in a separate direction. She claimed that she had business to attend to, but Botan had a notion that her business was really a romantic rendezvous with a certain dark haired, cobalt-eyed tycoon. As she walked over to her cubicle, a tall and handsome man with dark blue hair and icy colored eyes approached her. He was the picture of refinement and class and she was sure that his smile had disarmed many a woman.

"Good morning Botan," he greeted.

"Good morning..." she trailed off, wracking her memory for the man's name and then snapping her fingers once she had remembered it. "Yuuto!"

"I heard that Koto gave you a hard time yesterday," he began conversationally.

Botan frowned at the memory.

"Yes..." she admitted. "But today's a new day and I'm determined to make it a good one."

Yuuto smiled.

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "I've always admired your resiliency."

"Well, it's gotten me this far," she noted with a wink.

He chuckled, mirth swimming in his blue eyes as he smiled down at her.

"It certainly has," he agreed. "I had intended to offer my support and encouragement, but I see that it isn't needed."

She was taken aback by his kindness and consideration and could not help the warm smile that overtook her features.

"Well, that was awfully sweet of you. I appreciate the gesture."

"Of course, and should you ever need anything, know I'm right around the corner."

She nodded. "I'll be sure to remember that."

His eyes lingered on hers for a moment longer, before he went on his way.

 _What a nice guy_ , she thought to herself as she took a seat at her desk and attempted to settle in.

She still wasn't sure what she was doing, but she clicked around on the desktop and at least pretended that she was being productive. As she continued going through the motions randomly, she came across a folder filled with what looked to be notes on various duties of her job. Clapping her hands together, she let out a little cheer. With these, she would be able to do everything!

She read each one over determinedly, feeling the motivation to do well rise within her. Today would be a much better day than yesterday was. She was sure of it.

* * *

Hiei woke up the next morning, half expecting to see the ferry-girl rushing through the door and urging him to get ready. When she didn't, the memories and recollections of their argument returned to him and he was plagued with the image of her sad expression and the resigned way she departed. He sighed as he dragged a hand over his face and threw back the covers. The ache at his side was still there and the skin had started to discolor and bruise, but at least the pain in his leg had mostly subsided.

As he padded into the bathroom and made quick use of its facilities, he realized how quiet and empty the space was without the presence of another. It was infinitely better, he decided. He didn't have to hear her humming or talking to herself, or moving around and making unnecessary noise. He wasn't asked for his opinion or pestered into holding a conversation and he did not have to re-live the same fight for the bed over and over.

This reprieve would have been perfect if he was not reminded of her everywhere he went, though: her towel hanging on the back of the bathroom door, her purple toothbrush sitting beside his and all of her hair products strewn across the counter. When he made his way to the living room, he spotted her blanket folded on the couch, next to her pillow. Resting atop the coffee table was the mug that she been drinking from, along with another one that he could only assume she had made for him. A cold wave of discomfort washed over him, but he shook it off and headed into the kitchen.

Last night he was forced to eat Yukina's leftovers cold. He had no idea how to work any of the appliances in the kitchen and he didn't want to learn how. The meal was admittedly disgusting, but he had no intentions of asking anyone for help. He was perfectly capable of getting by on his own and this time was no different.

Pulling the refrigerator door open with more force than necessary, he then began to rummage through its contents. He did not recognize most of the items, but managed to scavenge some slices of bread and cold cuts that Botan used before. It wasn't too difficult to make a sandwich, but as he chewed it mechanically, he realized that it didn't taste anywhere close to as good as it did when the woman had made it.

Upon finishing his poor excuse for a meal, he glanced around the place aimlessly. He could venture out again in search of the lizard demon, but he knew that it would be a futile effort. Without a clue as to the demon's whereabouts and a limited knowledge of his own surroundings, he would only be wasting his time. He had no interest in seeing any more of this world than what was necessary and that left him with little selections of what he could do. There was always the option of staying indoors and biding his time until the others found a way to bring him home, but Hiei wasn't sure how long he could manage to do that. The silence of the apartment was beginning to feel more stifling than soothing now and a strange unease was starting to creep up on him. He didn't want to determine why that was, so he stood up and stomped over to his closet instead. Although work would be tiring and difficult, it would at least be something to pass the time and distract him with.

He pulled out another dark suit and went through the same motions as yesterday, pausing and fumbling with the tie. After a few more failed attempts, he let out a growl and tossed it aside. It was pointless, anyway.

He trudged towards the door.

 _"Don't forget your wallet!"_ the ferry-girl's voice reminded him, as she had done before.

He picked it up.

 _"Or your keys!"_

He retrieved it as well and made his way outside of the apartment.

-x-

"Hey partner!"

Hiei ignored the other man as he sat down across from him.

"I sent you, like… a million texts between yesterday and today," Haru began. "Why didn't you reply?"

Hiei did recall receiving an unsightly number of messages from his partner, all of them inquiring about his status. It was annoying and intrusive, so he refrained from responding.

"You were being a nuisance," he answered finally.

"But I was worried about you!"

"Why do you care?" Hiei questioned.

"Because I'm your partner. It's what I do," he said easily.

Hiei frowned. It was the same sort of peculiar thing Botan would say or do, because she believed them to be friends. It wasn't fair to him; he didn't know what to do with these sentiments nor was he equipped with the capability of returning them.

He never asked her to do all those things for him; he never wanted her concern and he never agreed to return it, either. The fact that he had caused her to leave wasn't his problem. At least, it shouldn't have been. Hiei wasn't exactly sure why he was starting to feel as thought it was. Perhaps it was due to his honor-code or some sense of duty towards her, having been allied in the past. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.

"Besides," Haru said, pulling him back to the present. "I wanted to check in because I know you've been having a rough time."

"How would you know that?" Hiei asked defensively, gaze snapping up to meet Haru's for the first time that the man arrived.

"Aw come on, you know I've got a natural talent for reading people," Haru teased, before his expression shifted into something more serious. "And if something is bothering you enough to show on the surface, it's gotta be bad. That's why I was worried."

Crimson eyes dithered to the small bruise on the other man's cheek pointedly.

"Perhaps you should worry about yourself," Hiei deflected.

Haru raised a hand to touch his cheek with a dismissive shrug.

"Eh, this is nothing."

It may have been a minor injury, but it was just one more thing that was his fault. If he had been more useful, his idiotic partner wouldn't be siting before him with similar injuries littered all over his body. He clenched his fists at his side angrily. There was no way of undoing the events of the past, but he was more than capable of ensuring that it did not happen again.

"Haru," he said, using the man's name for the first time.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to show me how to use this," Hiei ordered as he pulled his desk drawer open and revealed the gun issued to his counterpart.

Haru blinked down at the weapon in surprise, before looking back up at Hiei.

"Huh?"

"It's been a while and I've forgotten how to," he lied.

Haru's mouth fell open.

"But you never forget anything!" he sputtered.

"Well, I've forgotten this," Hiei deadpanned. "Show me how to use it again."

Haru stared back at Hiei in confusion, before his features smoothened out and a look of realization passed over him.

"Oh, Hiei... you're being too hard on yourself," he reassured. "You know exactly what you're doing and you don't need to re-learn anything. You're the best detective I know, you just had an off day is all."

"Don't attempt to placate me."

"I'm not! I'm just telling you the honest truth!"

Hiei continued to frown and Haru sighed.

"But if it's that important, then you've got it," he relented, pushing his seat out and taking a stand. "Let's go down to the range and get some practice in, then."

Hiei grunted in agreement, before standing up and following after Haru. When the orange-haired man led him out to one of the cars in the parking lot, he hesitated. He still didn't trust these damn things, but the Haru was already a little suspicious of Hiei's behavior and he knew he couldn't afford to act any more out of character than he already had. Steeling himself, he pulled the handle with more force than necessary and entered the car.

"Buckle up, buddy, it's the law," Haru instructed with a grin.

"I don't care about the law."

"But you're a detective!"

"I don't see what that has to do with anything," he deadpanned.

"We're supposed to maintain the law!"

"Hn."

"Come on, Hiei," Haru urged sternly. "We're not leaving here until you do."

Hiei grumbled a cruse under his breath as he fumbled with the strap of the belt. After a few failed tries, he finally jammed the belt into the clip and fixed Haru with an irritated look.

"Satisfied?"

"Yessir!" the other man nodded cheerfully as he drove off.

Hiei took a calming breath as they winded down the road. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be and his idiot of a partner had some modicum of mastery over the vehicle. He closed his eyes and had just begun to settle down when an irritatingly upbeat and cheery tune blasted through the speakers. Hiei grimaced and glared at Haru, but the orange-haired man was too busy singing along to the song and focusing on the road to care.

Thirty minutes and many exasperating songs later, they finally arrived at their destination. The range was massive and many unfamiliar faces greeted them as they ventured further into the building. Haru waved and smiled and replied to nearly everyone that he saw, while Hiei simply stalked behind the man quietly and determinedly. Haru led him into a private area filled with six lanes. Haru had already begun to prepare himself and Hiei followed suit, keeping an eye on Haru and mimicking his actions. Shirking off his suit jacket, he then proceeded to slide the headphones over his ears and slip the glasses over his eyes. Normally, he wouldn't be so compliant, but it seemed as though Haru was a stickler for the rules and he knew that he would have to at least pretend to follow the rules if he wanted the other man to teach him everything.

"So, you remember how to load your gun, right?" Haru questioned.

"Just show me everything from the beginning," Hiei instructed.

Haru gave him a bewildered look, before shrugging and going with it.

"Alrighty..."

He went through the motions of emptying and refilling up the clip, moving slowly enough for Hiei to follow and reminding him about the safety feature and the gun's recoil. The fire-demon committed it all to memory easily; he never needed to be told anything twice.

"You remember how to aim and shoot, right?" Haru asked.

"Hn, of course I do," he replied, despite never owning or using a gun before. "I'm not a fool."

"Good, then let's get to work!" Haru grinned.

They lined up in their respective lanes and Hiei took his time eying the target. The weapon felt unnatural and wrong in his hands and he would have much rather preferred the familiar weight of his sword instead. There was no time to lament over such small details, though, so he raised a hand and concentrated on the task ahead. He pulled the trigger, hitting the ring just outside of the bull's-eye with a frown. He tried again and got a bit closer this time. On his third attempt, he had gotten it just right.

"Nice!" Haru encouraged.

Hiei looked over at Haru's target, noting that the other man had emptied an entire round of bullets with perfect accuracy every time. It was slightly impressive, but he would never admit that aloud.

They continued practicing under various conditions and scenarios, time slipping away from him as he focused on improving his skills. Nothing could compare to the thrill of sparring or training with his sword, but this was was at least _something_. For the first time since he had arrived here, he didn't feel completely out of place. The tension within his body was slowly uncoiling and the agitation in his mind was dissipating along with it.

Hiei returned to the apartment complex later than evening feeling much more at ease with himself and his current situation. He ignored the strangers who greeted him and made the now familiar trek up to apartment 4C. It should have been alarming how quickly he was learning to assimilate to this world, but it was simply something he needed to do for the time being. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, half expecting to see the ferry-girl waiting for him with that unwavering smile on her face and some new story spilling from her lips. Instead, he was met with nothing but quiet darkness and was forced to fumble around the foyer until he found a light switch.

The place was exactly as he had left it and it was clear that the ferry-girl never returned. He knew that she wouldn't have, but a small part of him wondered if she might. Dismissing the thought, he retired to the bedroom and began undressing. He was in the middle of painstakingly undoing the many buttons on his shirt when he heard a knock coming from the main door. He intended to ignore it, but when he heard the faint sound of a distinctly female voice, something compelled him to answer. Shirking off the stiff and restricting dress shirt, he quickly threw on one of the cotton ones from the drawer and then stalked over to the door.

"Hi Hiei," the teenage girl from the convenience store greeted.

"What do you want?" he questioned bluntly.

"Um…is Botan around?"

He froze at the mention of the ferry-girl and something strange washed over him in that moment, almost like a wave of nausea gnawing at the pit of his stomach. That was entirely new.

"Hiei?" she pressed.

"What?" he asked, returning his full attention to her.

"Is Botan home?" Fubuki repeated. "I wanted to tell her something."

He shook his head wordlessly.

"Oh… is she working late again?" she inquired, tapping a hand at her chin.

Hiei stared back at the girl, wondering why his chest felt tight all of a sudden. He had no idea what the ferry-girl was up to, other than the fact that she was apparently staying with Shizuru Kuwabara.

"I don't know," he answered eventually.

"Alright…" she said, trailing off awkwardly.

He was just about to close the door on her when she spoke again.

"Say… is everything okay?"

Hiei paused to fix her with a questioning look and Fubuki shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. There was concern and worry in her rounded brown eyes and Hiei wondered how and why so many people had come to care for him in this reality. The ferry-girl made that very same unfortunate mistake and he had done what he did best: pushed her away with his fiery temper and cold words. That pesky, uncomfortably feeling began to weigh heavily in the center of his chest again and Hiei clenched his fists in anger.

"You just looked a little tense, is all…" she continued tentatively.

"You're mistaken," he replied, although it sounded like a lie even to his ears. "I'm fine."

"Alright," she backed off. "Well, when Botan gets home, could you tell her hi for me?"

He nodded, if only to appease the girl, and watched her walk off in the direction of the elevator bank. After shutting the door closed, he turned back to face the empty apartment and gage the state of the place. The fact that he had the entire dwelling to himself should have been a welcomed luxury, but everything about this felt wrong. In the uneasy stillness, flashes of the ferry-girl and her last expression burned brightly in his mind, drawing out the unpleasant memories from last night and stirring up feelings that he did not think himself capable of experiencing.

Hiei swallowed thickly as he recalled the things he had said to her and the detached way he had said them. He had always been impulsive and rash and, once again, he allowed his anger to get the best of him. True to the ice-maiden's predictions, he scorched everything he touched, destroying all in his path indiscriminately until nothing was left but ashes. The ferry-girl didn't deserve any of what he had dished out last night and if she chose to stay away from him permanently, then she would be justified.

Maybe it was better that way.

* * *

The next morning found Botan and Shizuru walking to the office leisurely. It was a beautifully crisp autumn day; the sky was clear, the sun was shining bright, the breeze was cool and, despite all of that, she still felt an ache run through her when she spotted the station in the distance. Shizuru seemed to pick up on Botan's train of thought, giving her a concerned look.

"Has he contacted you at all?" Shizuru asked.

"No," she admitted with a shake of her head. "And I don't think he will."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Shizuru replied. "Sounds to me like he's having a hard time without you. Kurama says he's been sulking around like a lost puppy."

Botan came to an abrupt halt, brows rose and eyes nearly doubled in size comically.

"What?"

"It's just as I said," Shizuru replied calmly, before taking a drag of her cigarette.

"But Hiei doesn't sulk!" Botan refuted.

Shizuru exhaled slowly and then fixed the bluette with a knowing smile.

"Apparently he does."

"Are you certain?"

"Kurama isn't in the habit of telling white lies," Shizuru reasoned. "I don't see why we shouldn't believe him."

Botan's expression fell. She wasn't sure what might have been bothering the fire-demon, but it had to have been serious if it was enough to slip through his stoic guard. At least he had Kurama in the nearby vicinity, though.

Speaking of...

"...Do you think Kurama knows about our current situation?" she questioned, brows furrowing worriedly.

"He figured that something was wrong when he noticed your absence. I didn't give him any details, but I did tell him that you were staying with me for the moment," Shizuru revealed.

Botan's frown deepened. While she and the fire-demon shared a tumultuous relationship at best, their counterparts seemed to have something truly special. The last thing she wanted was for the others to misunderstand and get the wrong idea about them.

"Nobody else knows," Shizuru added as an afterthought. "Yusuke would probably have Hiei's head if he did."

Botan smiled at the thought of Yusuke stepping up in that heroic way that he always did. Though she appreciated the gesture, she doubted that it would solve anything this time.

"In any case, I think all you need to do is give it some time," Shizuru suggested. "Hiei isn't the type to end things, not like this."

When Botan remained silent, Shizuru continued.

"He probably just needs time to cool off. You know, to heal his manly pride or something…" she jested, a playful glint in her brown eyes.

Botan found the corners of her mouth lifting and she let out a chuckle.

They made their way inside of Sakyo Corp and found herself going through her daily routine with ease. She waved at the security guards and then swiped her keycard against the turnstile. After calling an elevator and getting off at the sixteenth floor, she and Shizuru walked over to their respective workstations. The place felt a bit more familiar now, a bit more comfortable. Those notes she had found yesterday came in handy, providing her with a better grasp of her job and giving her the confidence she needed to go about her day. There were still many things that she was unsure of, but she had found her second wind and she was sure that each day would be better than the last.

Three expense reports, two conference calls and one cup of tea later, she found herself finally free to breathe. Glancing down at her phone, she couldn't help but wonder about what Hiei might be up to. Without her there to pester him, she doubted he would voluntarily choose to go to work. Although she was a little tempted to check in on him, she scrolled through her messages and located her thread with Kuwabara instead. Maybe he might be able to give her some answers concerning what was happening in her own dimension. After all, that was what was most important.

' _Hello Kuwabara :)'_

' _What's up Botan?"_

' _Have any interesting dreams lately?'_

' _Whoa, that's kind of freaky, I actually I did.'_

' _Ooh, do tell!'_

' _It was about that other world again. Koenma was all pint-sized. He couldn't have been older that three years old, but he was bossing us around. It was so weird.'_

' _Very weird, indeed. What exactly were his orders?'_

' _I can't really remember, but it seemed important.'_

' _I see. Well, thanks for sharing. And be sure to let me know if you have any other fun stories to tell me!"_

 _'Will do.'_

Although Kuwabara hadn't really given her much to work off of, she was sure that Koenma bossing them around really equated to him putting pressure on the team to find both her and Hiei. She was confident that her friends were working on overdrive, exhausting every possibility and leaving no stone unturned in the search to bring them home. She would simply have to trust in them while continuing to live the other Botan's life in the meanwhile. It really wasn't so bad; aside from her fight with Hiei, she was really enjoying herself.

"Ready for lunch?" Hinageshi asked with a grin, popping up out of thin air with that exuberant grin plastered on her face.

"Yes ma'am!" Botan answered, before grabbing her purse and taking a stand.

"I was thinking we go to that cute little Italian place today."

"Sounds good to me."

Hinageshi paused to look over at Shizuru.

"You coming, 'Zuru?"

"No, you two go on without me today," the brunette replied, not bothering to tear her gaze away from the computer screen.

"She's probably got a romantic lunch planned with Sakyo," Botan teased, before ducking out of the way of a balled up piece of paper. Shizuru's accuracy was frightening, but since the bluette had already expected the knee-jerk reaction, she was safe. She simply wiggled her fingers in a mock wave as she grinned down at her friend. "You have fun, now! And don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

She and Hinageshi snickered all the way down to the lobby, Botan's mirth only fading after they had made their way out onto the streets and the station came into view.

"Wanna make a pitstop and say hi to lover boy?" Hinageshi questioned, a sly smile on her face.

"Oh, no, that's quite alright," Botan declined with a shake of her head.

Hinageshi raised a suspicious brow.

"You sure?"

"Positive," she said with a smile. "I'm sure Hiei's very busy with his latest case. Besides, I'm starving, so let's not waste any time."

"Alright!"

Botan didn't bother looking back.

* * *

Hiei sat in a secluded room, viewing security footage with Haru at his side. The orange-haired man had fallen asleep on more than one occasion and Hiei was more than willing to kick the leg of his chair and jolt him back to consciousness when the need arose. Haru rubbed at his eyes, before turning to view Hiei with a tired grin.

"Want some coffee? I'm in need of a refill."

"Fine."

When Haru left, Hiei pulled his phone out from his pants pocket. He had gotten messages from Yukina and a few others, but not a single one from the ferry-girl. His finger hovered over her name, before scrolling down to the oaf's. He typed in a quick message and hit the send button.

' _Tell me about your most recent dreams.'_

' _Ew, are you seriously texting me right now shorty? And did you really just ask me about my dreams?'_

' _Don't make me repeat myself. Now answer the question, you buffoon.'_

' _Why?'_

' _That's none of your concern.'_

' _You're so weird, shorty.'_

Hiei grumbled a curse. He was tempted to break his phone entirely, when it lit up with another message.

' _Botan already asked me the same thing so you can just talk to her about it. All you ever do is mock me anyway. Besides, it really creeps me out that you're suddenly interested in them.'_

' _Don't flatter yourself, if I had it my way I would never lower myself to contact you about anything.'_

 _'Then why did you bother in the first place?'_

 _'That's none of your concern.'_

' _Oh, bite my ankles, shorty!'_

He rolled his eyes as he pocketed his phone. He supposed if Kuwabara had told the ferry-girl anything worthwhile, she would have alerted him. She was not the vindictive type and he knew that she would not leave him here if she had found a way to return to their dimension. He supposed he would have to bide his time carefully in the meanwhile. Setting his gaze back on the screen, he watched the events of play out detachedly.

"I'm back!" Haru sang, a piping hot cup of coffee in each hand.

"Good. I've found the one you're looking for," Hiei announced.

"Really?!"

Haru set the drinks down beside the pastries he had brought earlier and worked towards rewinding the footage.

"Top left," Hiei instructed.

Haru blinked at the screen a few times, his mouth falling open in disbelief, before rounding on Hiei.

"How the heck did you manage to spot him? He was barely in the screen and even then it was only for a split second!" Haru exclaimed, pointing towards the video.

"If you were paying attention, you would have seen it, too."

"That's not fair! You're like, super detective or something... you can't expect the rest of us to keep up," Haru complained, his posture wilting as he sunk down into his chair.

Hiei smirked at the other man's misery, but said no more on the matter as they resumed their surveillance. Although Haru was repeatedly amazed each and every time Hiei had found something inconspicuous, Hiei did not think it was something to be marveled at. It had come easily and naturally to him after years of running with the band of thieves and after his brief stint as a member of the spirit detective team.

They continued on in that fashion for hours, searching for suspects, clues and trails from previously recorded security and traffic cameras. By the time Hiei returned to the apartment, the sky was littered with stars and the temperature had dropped a few degrees. It was a long day, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. He should have been pleased with the progress he had made over the past few days, but something still felt off.

He looked around the apartment with a discerning eye. Everything was as he had left it – but there was something fundamentally wrong about it all. Without the woman's lively presence, it was as if the place lacked color or light or life or something intangible that Hiei couldn't quite determine. It was an overly sentimental thought, but there was use in pretending that it wasn't true.

Before he could even contemplate what he should do about it, someone knocked on the door. He hoped that it wasn't the girl again, or worse, her brother.

"Hiei, it's me."

He frowned at the familiar voice.

"What do you want, fox?" he grumbled.

"I simply want to talk," came the muffled reply.

He had a feeling he wouldn't like what Kurama had to say, but he knew from experience that it was unwise to ignore the redhead. Unlocking the door, he wordlessly motioned for Kurama to enter. He paused in the threshold to assess the state of the apartment, before passing over the shoes Hiei had kicked off in the entryway, taking in the disheveled nature of the couch and its pillows and glancing over at the pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

"…You've certainly kept the place in disarray without Botan around," he noted conversationally.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his expression level and even.

"What makes you think she's gone?" he challenged.

"It was quite obvious... especially with the way you've taken to sulking around the halls lately," Kurama explained with a teasing hint hiding in the features of his neutral expression.

"I don't sulk," he denied vehemently.

"Perhaps not as obviously as others do, but it is quite interesting to see the effect her absence has had on you."

"She hasn't had any effect on me," he negated, crimson eyes narrowed into a glare. "You may think you know everything, but you shouldn't presume to know me."

"But I do know you," Kurama insisted. "That's why I urge you to seek her out and bring her home."

"What does it matter to you?"

"After everything we've been through, you should know why," Kurama replied.

Hiei looked away, uncomfortable with the sudden shift in conversation. Kurama must have caught on to his change in demeanor, because he tactfully chose to continue with his original point.

"From what Shizuru has told me, it's clear that Botan misses you, too."

He scoffed in disbelief. "The ferry-girl-"

Kurama raised a brow in confusion and Hiei corrected himself.

"She is the one who left. If she wants to return, then she will."

Kurama's features softened into a look of understanding. Hiei hated it when the fox looked at him like that, as if he was a child who needed guidance. But more than that, he hated it because in times like these, Kurama was always able to read him like an open book. For all the walls and guards Hiei had thrown up, the redhead always managed to see the truth that he kept hidden away.

"Perhaps all Botan needs is a little convincing," he urged.

"I have no intentions of begging her to do anything," Hiei returned moodily.

"That isn't what I was suggesting."

"Then what were you suggesting, fox?"

"That you let go of your pride and talk this through with her. You're in a relationship, much like an agreement or a pact, communication is part of the deal."

Hiei's eyebrows lifted slightly as he remembered the agreement that he had entered with the ferry-girl a few days prior. They had decided to stick together and to try to get along. She had promised to tone it down and he was supposed to be less abrasive. He had only gone along with it because the woman was far more knowledgeable than him and he needed her to get by. Over the course of the days that followed, he had admittedly failed to uphold his part of the bargain on more than one occasion. He clenched his fists, thinking of all the times he had blown up on her and all of the times that she had forgiven him. It was a vicious cycle of misplaced anger and blame and she did not deserve any of it. Perhaps it was time to make things right. Perhaps it was time for him to treat her the way he should have all along. Hiei brought his gaze back up to meet Kurama's with a newfound resolve shining in his crimson eyes.

"The oaf's sister," he began. "Where does she live?"

Kurama smiled.

"Not too far from their office. I'll text you the address."

-x-

True to Kurama's instructions, so long as he followed the normal path that he took to work, he was able to find Shizuru's building. He made his way up to the fifth floor and knocked on the old wooden door impatiently, shoulders squared and posture stiff. Now that he was standing outside of the apartment, he realized that he had never attempted to make amends with anyone before and he was entirely out of his element. It was far too late to do anything about that now, so he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for a response.

The door creaked and opened slowly and Shizuru stared down at him, unsurprised by his arrival. It was almost as though she expected it, and Hiei had to wonder if the she and the fox had conspired to make this happen. It would be just like them to meddle, but there was little he could do about it now, so he focused on the matter at hand instead.

"Where is Botan?" he asked.

"Nice to see you, too, Hiei," she greeted dryly. "She's in the guest room."

He stepped forward in order to get inside, but Shizuru stood firmly in place and effectively blocked him.

"You asked a question and I gave you an answer," she replied. "And now you can leave."

She moved to shut the door when Hiei shot a hand out and interrupted her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, woman?" he nearly barked out.

"I should be the one asking that question, considering you're the reason Botan came to me in tears two nights ago," she shot back.

Hiei's brow furrowed, most of the fight draining from him upon hearing Shizuru's admittance. He knew that his words were crueler than necessary, but he didn't know that they had brought the ferry-girl to tears. He hardened his gaze a bit, staring up at the brunette with no intentions of backing down.

"Let me see her," he requested firmly.

Shizuru was silent as she eyed him critically and contemplated his request. Eventually, her features eased up and she nodded.

"I'll ask Botan if she wants to talk," she conceded.

She disappeared somewhere behind the ajar door and Hiei frowned as Shizuru's words rolled around in his mind. The thought that he had made the ferry-girl shed tears was enough to unsettle him. He wasn't in the habit of making women cry and it made him more uncomfortable than he cared to admit. Luckily for him, he no longer had to dwell on it as the sound of faint footsteps mermaids his ear. Soon after, the door creaked open fully and he was finally afforded a view of the ferry-girl. She was dressed in an outfit that was clearly too big for her and she looked at him as though she couldn't believe that he was standing before her; as though it was completely unfathomable.

"Hiei... what are you doing here?"

She stared back at him with a wary look crinkling her brows and tightening the corners of her mouth. It was a far cry from the open and unguarded way she had been with him before and he supposed he only had himself to blame for that. He had decided to make things right, though, and the only way to do that was to tell her the truth. He'd set aside his pride, just this once.

"I want you to come back," he said lowly, watching the way her amethyst eyes widened in disbelief.

"You do?" she questioned softly.

Hiei nodded.

"You don't have to, but I'm asking that you do."

He watched as her expression melted and wilted away from its tense uncertainty. She stared back at him searchingly and he had never felt so raw and exposed in his entire life. He almost wanted to look away, but he was admittedly captured by the pull of her gaze; by that unreadable look in her eyes. After a few more seconds of silence, she did something that surprised them both.

"Alright," she agreed.

"…What?"

"I said alright," she repeated. "Just give me a moment to gather my things."

Hiei nodded almost numbly, listening to the sounds of shuffling from the other side of the door as she moved around the apartment. After thanking Shizuru, she joined him out in the hallway. They faced each other for a moment or two, neither one knowing what to say, before Botan cleared her throat.

"It's pretty late, we should probably hurry home."

He nodded his agreement and together, they made the short journey to the train station and boarded a mostly empty train car. The air between them was tense and strained and they hadn't said a word to each other the entire ride back to their town. They walked through the nearly vacant streets of their neighborhood in the same tentative manner, the only sounds passing between them being the hum of the occasional car as it zoomed by. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, when he was absolutely sure that she wasn't looking at him. Although it was dark out, the streetlights case her in an artificial glow. It felt almost unreal being in her presence again. He certainly did not think it would be this easy and he wanted to know why that was. He needed to know-

"Why did you come with me?" he blurted out, unable to stop himself from finally voicing the one thought that had been most prominent in his mind.

Botan paused, brows climbing until they were obscured by her bangs. He supposed that his sudden inquiry was unlike him, but he needed to know what exactly it was that brought about her change of heart.

"It was the look in your eyes," she revealed. "I'm not sure what it meant, but I felt compelled to return."

He wasn't sure why her response made him uneasy or why that soft gaze of hers made his throat go dry, so he simply remained silent and continued the trek back towards the apartment complex. The air was less heavy between them now as the feeling of normalcy returned with each and every step that he took.

"Hey, Hiei, can I ask you something?" Botan questioned suddenly.

He resisted the unhelpful urge to point out that that she had quite literally just used up her request and nodded instead.

"Fine."

"...Why were you in the human world on your birthday?"

"I was there for the artifact," he answered, electing to withhold the entire truth.

"But you didn't even know what it looked like or what it did," she pointed out. "Mukuro doesn't seem like the type who would send you to the human world without any information, so were you there of your own volition?"

He was a bit surprised that she had deduced the truth on her own, but then again, the past few days had taught him not to underestimate her. It was clear that she knew more than she let on and she had a shrewd mind when the situation called for it. He supposed there was no reason to be ambiguous about it now; it wasn't as though she had anyone to blabber to.

"I wanted to see Yukina," he confessed. "With my own eyes and not through the jagan."

"I see," she said with a smile. "And then Mukuro must have contacted you about the demon, and that's why you made yourself known."

He nodded wordlessly as she continued.

"And then I insisted on joining you boys, the two of us got caught up in the artifact's territory and here we are…" she recounted.

Hiei stopped walking, prompting her to do the same as well. There was a slight frown on his face as he recalled the events of that day.

"That's not entirely true," he said.

"Huh?"

"I remember it now," he admitted. "You were outside of the artifact's territory when the lizard first activated it. You only entered its domain to stop me from charging after him."

Botan paused, surprise etched into her features.

"I didn't think you noticed…"

"You knew what was happening and still, you chose me over your own safety," he realized.

"Of course I did, Hiei," she confirmed. "There was no other choice but to choose you."

The weight of her words had settled in his chest, prompting him to clear the air.

"I suppose that's why I chose you, too," he admitted. Now that the haze of anger wasn't clouding his judgment, it was all too clear: there had never been any deliberation on his part to begin with; saving her was the only option. "And for the record, I would do it again."

"Hiei," she breathed out, eyes wide in shock and mouth parted slightly. Her eyes glistened as unshed tears gathered in the corner of her eyes and, for a moment, he thought she might even cry. He clenched his jaw, wondering if he shouldn't have brought it up at all, but luckily for him, her lips quirked upwards. "Thank you… that means a lot to me."

He nodded, tearing his gaze away as they continued walking towards their building on Block 7.

"I know I'm not your first choice," Botan started conversationally. "I'm probably not even a valid choice at all in your mind, but we're quite literally all each other has here in this world."

Hiei's brow furrowed at the self-depreciative nature of her words. She must have mistook his confusion for anger as she raised her hands defensively and took a step closer.

"What I'm trying to say is that I hope you'll realize that I'm not that bad," she finished.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest. He no longer held her in the same low regards that he did when they first started out in this world. And his time without her only served to cement the fact that he had misjudged and mistreated her greatly. He kept his gaze on her steadily as he forced the words out.

"You are right about one thing, woman. There are far worse people I could have been sent here with," he agreed, in an attempt to quell his own guilt.

"Oh really?" she asked, perking up a bit. "Care to enlighten me?"

"The oaf."

"That's a given, considering the immature way you two always fight."

"The detective."

"I suppose Yusuke would give you a hard time at every turn," she said with a fond smile.

"The fox."

Her expression dropped into one of disbelief.

"Even Kurama?"

"He's an insufferable know it all. Underneath that calm facade, even he would delight in this," Hiei scowled.

Botan blinked.

"…You listed off the entire team," she realized. "You think I'm a better option than all of them?"

"Though you are loud and easily excited, you do have a profound knowledge of this world and you do not delight in my suffering."

"I'm so touched, Hiei!"

"Don't be. It was an objective thought."

"It's too late, my heart feels all warm and fuzzy now," she teased.

"Hn, I take it back. Sensui, all seven personalities included, would have been a better option than you."

She let out an affronted gasp and he smirked. As they walked down the hallway together, he realized that this was better. If the two of them were stuck here for an indefinite amount of time, then he would much rather they carried on like this.

They entered the apartment and Botan flicked the light switch on. Light flooded the area in the same moment that an unexpected sensation blossomed his chest. For the first time in the past two days, he felt more settled and at ease and the pieces of this confusing reality became aligned again. A sense of clarity washed over him; it was all so clear now. If he intended on making it out of here with his sanity in tact, he would have to take a page out of the ferry-girl's book and treat this as a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Mukuro always did say that he was impulsive, insensitive and unthinking. He didn't see how or why that mattered, but she was older and more experienced than him and possessed the wisdom and foresight that he did not. Perhaps this time in this dimension would grant him the qualities he needed to become a stronger warrior and maybe even a better man.

He glanced over at Botan, watching as she rearranged her blanket and pillow on the couch in the living room with a frown. He had been unnecessarily unfair to her on more than one account and it was time that he started doing things right.

"Take the bed," he told her.

Botan paused in her ministrations, turning back to view him with doubt laced in her expression.

"Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise," he replied.

Her expression slowly morphed into that of a contented smile. It was a small gesture, but she looked at him as though he had done something as impossible as pulled the stars down from the sky and hand them to her.

"Thank you," she said through a warm smile.

He nodded and looked away as a strange sensation loitered in his chest. Even after she had skipped off to the bedroom, humming a cheerful tune, that pesky feeling remained.

After they had both settled in and fulfilled their nightly routines, Hiei stepped inside of the bedroom to retrieve his pillow. Botan was already tucked under the covers, but her eyes lingered on him curiously.

"Say, Hiei?"

He looked at her wordlessly, waiting for her to continue. Botan bit her lip, glancing down at the bed before looking back at him.

"This bed is awfully big and it is partly yours," she began. "I was thinking that you could sleep on the other side - if you're not uncomfortable with the idea of sharing, that is."

He contemplated it for a moment. It was no issue for him, but he was surprised that she had suggested it in the first place. Normally, his sleeping conditions did not matter much to him, but he had admittedly gotten used to the feel of the mattress and the comfort of sleeping in such a large bed.

"Never mind," Botan said, mistaking his silence for refusal. She averted her gaze sheepishly. "I don't know what I was thinking."

"It's the smartest idea you've come up with since we landed in this dimension," he remarked.

"Really?" she blinked. "You're okay with it?"

"You were the one who was against it from the start," he reminded her.

"Well, a little compromise never hurt anybody," she acknowledged as she pulled the covers back for him.

He slipped inside and settled down beside her silently. Now that they were both occupying the same space, he was suddenly aware of just how intimate sharing a bed really was. Each movement she made was all the more apparent and, even though they had a decent amount of space between them, he felt her presence much more keenly than before. She turned the off the lamp on her nightstand, the mattress shifting with her movement as the room plunged into darkness.

"Goodnight, Hiei."

Hiei closed his eyes, the warmth of her body next to his and the scent of her lavender shampoo slowly overtaking his senses.

"Sleep well, woman," he mumbled in return.

* * *

This was an extremely long chapter (by my standards) but I hope you all enjoyed it. I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	10. Chapter 10

Hiei awoke slowly the next morning, wrapped up in a haze of heat and tranquility. He drew in a deep breath, inhaling the unique mix of lavender and something else familiar as he registered a soft weight at his side.

Crimson eyes blinked opened, senses returning to him as he remembered where he was and all that had transpired. A mess of blue-hair tickled his cheek and drew his attention to the ferry-girl. Over the course of the night, she had somehow crossed over onto his half of the bed and attached herself to his side. She was snuggled up against him with her head nestled on his shoulder and half of her limbs spread over him, but the part that disturbed him the most was the fact that his right arm had curled underneath her body and around her waist in a loose embrace. He swallowed thickly and attempted to retract his arm, but it was no use. They were too tangled up in each other to do so without alerting her to his actions. The slight movement prompted her to press further against him – perhaps in an attempt to reclaim some of his warmth – and she let out a contented sigh, her breath fanning against his neck. This new position allowed him to feel the entire outline of her body through the thin material of her flimsy sleep shirt and Hiei stiffened as a new problem began to arise, all of the blood in his body moving south towards one very specific area. Screwing his eyes shut, Hiei mentally cursed his own lack of restraint and attempted to will his rapidly growing problem away. He tried to focus on the woman's more annoying qualities, like the shrill way her voice got when she was yelling or her frequent and emotional outbursts, but none of that was enough to break through the cloud of lust brought about by the press of her soft skin and smooth curves. He swallowed thickly. Things would soon get out of hand if he didn't do something to distance himself from her and he dreaded to think of how he would explain himself if she woke up now and caught notice of their current position.

Hiei opened his eyes again and stared up at ceiling with a frown. There was only one thing he could do, but he would have to be careful about it. He grabbed a hold of Botan's shoulder, slowly rolling her onto her back and freeing his once trapped arm in one smooth motion. She made a discontented noise and he thought he had woken her, but all she did was mumble something incoherently and roll onto her other side. Kicking away the covers that had somehow bunched up near his feet, he took the opportunity to exit the bed entirely. He scowled down at the strained material of his boxers and then back at the peacefully unaware ferry-girl, before stalking towards the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Several self-loathing minutes and one ice cold shower later, Hiei was halfway through pushing his arm through the sleeve of one of his shirts. By the time he had fastened the last button, Botan was slowly rousing to consciousness. She sat up on the bed, hair a tangled mess and eyelids drooping heavily.

"Good morning," she greeted through a yawn as she silenced the blaring alarm on her phone.

Hiei grunted in response, not bothering to make eye contact at all.

"You're up early... any reason in particular?" she questioned.

He paused. He couldn't very well tell her the real reason behind the early start to his routine, so he supplied her with the next best thing.

"I'm going to work," he stated.

Amethyst eyes widened underneath a mess of powder-blue bangs as the ferry-girl sat up straighter, apparently on full alert now.

"Work?" she echoed, as though she did not hear him correctly the first time.

"I don't know why you look so surprised. You were the one who suggested we follow our counterparts' routines in the first place," he pointed out.

"But I didn't actually think you'd go unless I pestered you into it!"

"I've been going for the past two days," he revealed.

Botan clapped her hands together, a bright smile stretching over her lips.

"Oh, Hiei, I'm so proud of you!"

"Don't be," he replied, glancing away. "It's nothing to be proud of."

"It certainly is!" she said as she climbed out of the bed. "In fact, today marks our official first week of being in this realm. We've gotten through seven whole days of ups and down and uncertainties. I think that's a pretty big deal!"

"If you say so," he replied, somewhat distractedly as he attempted to fix his tie.

"And as such, I think we should do something fun tonight!"

"You're free to do as you please, just leave me out of it," he told her as he attempted to put on his tie.

"But it won't be any fun without you!"

Hiei paused in his ministrations, brow furrowing slightly as he tried to make sense of her words.

"I'm the farthest thing from fun, woman," he said eventually.

"Not to me you aren't," she replied as she took the material from his hands and proceeded to tie it expertly. "You're actually pretty decent company when you want to be."

He had no idea what sort of twisted notions ran through her mind and made her think these things, but he supposed that she was entitled to her own warped opinions at the end of the day. She patted his tie for good measure, before taking a step back regarding him expectantly

"So, what do you say?" she tried. "It'll just be for a few hours..."

A mixture of excitement and determination shone in her amethyst eyes and he knew that she would pester him for a great length of time if he didn't give in.

"I'll think about it," he acceded, although he really and truly had no intentions of changing his mind.

"That's the spirit, Hiei!" she cheered with a bright grin. "You won't regret it, I promise!"

He watched her disappear into the bathroom, still able to hear her humming excitedly from the other side. Appeasing her was far too easy and he couldn't help but wonder why he ended up hurting her so often.

Shaking the thought from his head head, he turned away and headed in the opposite direction. There was no point in dwelling on the past. All he could do now was look towards the future and avoid making the same mistakes as before.

-x-

Later that morning, Hiei was walking through the station entrance with a clear mind and relaxed gait. The past week had been a series of ups and downs, but he was on steady footing and even ground now. He had gotten used to the noise and the general atmosphere that clouded his workplace and he had grown accustomed to his partner and all of his eccentricities. Speaking of, the orange-haired man was currently chattering beside him while toting a box of pastries in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

Hiei found himself only mildly annoyed by the other man's ramblings and he allowed him to continue on without issuing a single offensive remark. Perhaps he was becoming immune to his partner's brand of personality or perhaps he was simply learning some restraint, as Mukuro had always urged him to. Whatever the case, it was working in his favor, so he did not bother questioning it.

Haru, however, had no qualms with pointing out the changes in Hiei's demeanor.

"Something's suspiciously different about you..." Haru said, emerald eyes narrowing warily.

Hiei nearly faltered in his steps at the unexpected statement. His partner had a shrewd mind when he wanted to and Hiei didn't appreciate the scrutinizing way he was being observed. It could be that the other man was starting to pick up on the stark differences between him and his counterpart.

"What are you babbling on about?" Hiei asked indifferently.

"You look… I don't know… more adjusted and settled. Like the weight of the world no longer rests on your shoulders," Haru observed. "Guess whatever was bothering you these last few days worked itself out, huh?"

The tension in his shoulders drained, but he did not let his relief show. He supposed that things were better now that the ferry-girl was back in the apartment and he had a few days to get acquainted with this world. He even felt more settled and adjusted, just as Haru had said. But he didn't like the way the man had read him so well, so he dismissed it entirely.

"You're always saying nonsense," he scoffed.

Haru chuckled as he set the items down on their workstation and then clapped a hand on Hiei's shoulder playfully.

"Deny it all you want, but deep down you know I'm right," he sing-songed.

Hiei's reply was cut off by the arrival of a familiar figure.

"Hey boys and girls," Yusuke said as he strolled into the station, late as always.

Haru waved, but Hiei ignored him.

"You guys are coming to the bar tonight, right?" Yusuke asked as he took a seat and leaned back into his chair.

Hiei raised a brow. He had no prior knowledge of any plans and he certainly did not intend to spend the night at a crude bar filled with rowdy humans.

"Sorry man, but I've got family stuff tonight," Haru declined.

"No worries, there's always next time," Yusuke said, before glancing over at Hiei expectantly. "And you?"

"That much should be obvious: I'm not going," Hiei replied.

"I guess I'll just have to have Botan convince you, then," he teased with a cheeky grin lighting up his gaze.

"She can't convince me to do anything."

"Yeah, and I'm Mother Teresa," Yusuke retorted, before swiveling around to face his desk.

Hiei didn't understand the joke or why Haru snorted in amusement, but he opted to ignore the both of them as he turned towards his workstation. Minutes later, his phone lit up with a notification. He already knew who it was and what the message would be about, but that didn't stop him from going through the motions anyway.

' _Bar tonight ;)?'_

Hiei paused. She had sent one of those weird faces to him again, but he couldn't decipher what it meant or the logic behind it. Ignoring it for now, he responded to the message.

' _I didn't take you for the bar type, woman.'_

' _Well, I haven't really been to many, except for that one time with Shizuru, but it sounds like fun!'_

' _Everything sounds like fun to you.'_

' _And everything sounds mundane and trivial to you, but I really think we should join the others tonight.'_

' _I refuse to subject myself to a night surrounded by drunken humans.'_

' _Everyone will find it strange if we skip out for no reason. We have to go!'_

' _No, we don't.'_

' _But you promised you'd think about doing something fun tonight! This falls under that category.'_

' _I've thought about it and decided against it.'_

' _:( '_

Hiei squinted at the screen, before typing.

' _What the hell is that?'_

' _It's an angry face. I'm very displeased with you right now, Hiei!'_

' _You'll survive.'_

' _We'll only stay for a short while. Pretty please?'_

' _Just go without me.'_

' _But I want you to come, too!'_

He frowned. He couldn't understand why she insisted on including him in everything, especially when he gave her no reason to do so. It made absolutely no sense for her to seek his companionship, but then again, nothing about her made sense.

He glanced down at her text message again, that strange tugging pulling at his chest.

If he skipped out tonight, then two things would inevitably occur. First, the ferry-girl would undoubtedly be disappointed in him and once again, he would be on the receiving end of one of those saddened looks. Secondly, if she did go to the bar without him, then he would find himself returning to an empty apartment for the third time in a row. Both outcomes didn't settle well with him - for reasons that he did not want to consider - and, although he loathed the idea of going to the bar, he realized that he could afford give into her this one time. It was the least he could do after all he had put her through. Sighing, he picked his phone up again and typed a reluctant message out.

' _Fine.'_

* * *

Botan was thrilled that Hiei had actually agreed to go to the bar with her. The gang decided to meet up at eight, giving her plenty of time to go back to the apartment, change out of her work clothes and convince Hiei to wear something nice as well. She threw on a pair of comfortable jeans and a soft, violet sweater, before setting out a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt for Hiei to change into. He must have found it suitable enough, because he exited from the bathroom wearing exactly that. After spraying some perfume, she took the liberty of spritzing some of the other Hiei's cologne on him as well. Her efforts had earned her nothing but a low growl and a harsh glare, but as she had been used to his treatment, she simply shrugged it off.

The bar was within walking distance of Block 7, so they set offing foot. It was a dark and chilly night, but she didn't mind it so much. She was just excited to be doing something social with the others. As she glanced over at Hiei and took notice of his current state, her good cheer dwindled a bit. His hands were in his pockets, strides stiff and footsteps heavy. Although his face was shadowed in the darkness, she could still make out the deep-set frown etched into his features. He looked much too tense for a man who was going to spend a few hours at the bar with his friends, so she decided to loosen him up a bit with a little lighthearted conversation.

"So, apparently, Keiko's been dropping hints that she's ready to take the next step with Yusuke," Botan began casually. "But he's much too dense to realize it."

"The next step?" Hiei questioned, brow raised slightly as he lost some of his frown.

"You know... marriage, building a family, etcetera, etcetera..."

Hiei pulled a face as Botan continued.

"And Shizuru and Sakyo continue to dance circles around each other. I can't tell if they're in a secret relationship or if they're just caught in a little flirting game. It's really hard to tell with the two of them."

"Perhaps you should be paying more attention to your work than the affairs of your coworkers," he berated lightly.

"Oh, but the office gossip is just so juicy!"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest as she went on.

"Did you know that Kurama was a big hot shot in the world of botany? Shizuru showed me some of his publications, he's just as smart and knowledgeable as ever."

"The fox has always had an unnatural affinity towards plants, I'm not surprised he's turned his fetish into a career."

Botan's eyes widened in surprise, but the absurdity of Hiei's words sunk in shortly after and she was soon unable to hold back a fit of laughter.

"Oh, Hiei," she said in between giggles. "That was a horrible thing to say about poor Kurama!"

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards and in the lowlight of the streetlamps, his crimson eyes seemed to glow.

"That doesn't make it any less true," he maintained with a smirk.

As Botan paused to consider Hiei's claims, she was actually inclined to admit that the fire-demon did bring up a valid point. Kurama was always so mysterious and there were many sides to him that the rest of the gang was not privy to. He could very well have a few less than orthodox secrets tucked away behind that straight laced composure.

"Do you... do you think he..." Botan trailed off, not sure if she wanted to voice this particular thought.

"What?"

"Well, you know... uses his rose-whip with his partners?" she asked.

"What?!"

"Maybe he likes to tie them up," she pondered.

Hiei looked mildly pained in that moment, but she continued on.

"Or maybe he's the one who likes being tied up!" she supposed, tapping a finger against her chin. "It's so hard to tell with him."

"You're disturbed, you know that?" he accused, frowning over at her.

"Hey," she exclaimed, folding her arms underneath her chest. "You're the one who started it with the whole plant fetish thing!"

"And you're the one who took it a step too far," he accused. "For a prudish ferry-girl, you have some unusually perverse thoughts."

"Oh hush!" she retorted with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I was only curious..."

"Hn, curiously perverted."

"Hiei!"

He smirked at her, mischief in his red eyes as they continued onwards. The silence between them was a comfortable one, no words needed in the quiet calm of the night, and she was thankful that they were back on good terms. The past few days without him weren't fun at all. Despite what her false cheer and the forced smiles suggested to the outside world, she was miserable inside. She never expected for Hiei to ask her to return, but she was so glad that he did. She saw something in his gaze, something worth believing in, and although it had only been a short twenty-four hours later, he had yet to disappoint. Ever since last night there was a noticeable shift in their dynamics, a new color to the way he has treated her. Their tentative alliance was by no means perfect - nothing ever was - but Hiei was _trying_ , and that meant the world to her.

She glanced over at him and bit back a smile. Hiei must have sensed her gaze, because she soon found herself staring into dark red eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

A hot blush spread over her cheeks as she shook her head.

"No reason at all," she said hurriedly, looking away and searching for a distraction. When she spotted the bar front, she pointed over at it with a forced laugh. "Look, we made it!"

"Unfortunately."

He made to move forward, when she remembered something important.

"Hiei, wait..."

She had been meaning to tell him about it, but recent circumstances pushed it to the back of her mind. It was imperative that he knew - and he deserved the chance to hear it before they joined up with the others.

He stopped walking to look over at her expectantly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I found out that you and Yukina were separated at birth in this world. Much like in ours, you both only came into contact with each other later in life."

Although Hiei's expression remained stoic, the slight crinkle in his brow made it more than apparent that he was processing the news. Botan's expression softened as she took a step towards him.

"It's sort of crazy how things work out," she sympathized. "But you both seem to be in a good place in this world, so I just thought you might like to know."

Crimson eyes met hers as he afforded her with a simple nod. He didn't need to say a word; she knew that he was grateful for the information and that was enough for her.

"Alright," she began, excitement lighting up her eyes. "Now that that's settled. Are you ready for an enjoyable night out?"

"Hardly."

She looped her arm through his and grinned.

"Chin up, Hiei. Time flies when you're having fun, so maybe if you loosen up and try to enjoy yourself while we're here, we'll be back home in our dimension before you know it!"

"I don't think it works like that, woman," he discouraged.

"Well, in any case, it wouldn't kill you to spend some time with your friends."

She heard him grunt out something disparaging, but ignored it as they entered the establishment. She was told that Chuu owned the bar and he made a pretty penny due to the lively atmosphere and loyal customers. The place was already packed, but she managed to find the gang seated over in a booth by the corner.

"Hey guys!" Kuwabara waved, a pink flush already adorning his face and lighting up his dark, charcoal eyes.

"Hello!" Botan returned with a grin.

"Nice to see you joining us, Hiei," Kurama noted.

"Knew she could get you to come," Yusuke smirked.

Hiei chose to ignore the both of them and slid into the booth after Botan.

"Are you guys hungry?" Keiko asked. "We ordered some of the specials."

Botan looked down at the finger foods. She and Hiei had eaten dinner, but it was a sparse meal that consisted of a single serving of ramen. They were forced to share it, considering the fact that there wasn't much left at the apartment.

"Thanks!" she said as she sampled one of the cheesy appetizers. It was pretty tasty and she nodded for Hiei to do the same. She watched as he picked at the food, occasionally popping a fry or a piece of chicken into his mouth in boredom. She almost felt bad for the raven-haired man, especially when Yusuke and Kuwabara began to heckle him, but eventually Yukina intervened and saved him from the boys' teasing.

They all got into a natural groove, which mostly consisted of a lot of lighthearted bantering and catching up on each other's lives. Hiei was mostly tuning everyone out, but Botan was learning that a lot of things in this dimension were playing out the same as back in her own world. For instance, Kuwabara was still looking into getting his doctorate and Kurama was working on a huge publication that would make waves in the field of botany, just as they were in her dimension. Keiko was still waiting for Yusuke to pop the question and Shizuru was considering relocating to a larger apartment, the exact same as they were back home.

She watched as Yusuke and Kuwabara raced to finish an entire mug of beer in one go with a smile. Something about this entire scene was so familiar and so right. It was heartening to see that their dynamic could not be changed between time, space or dimensions. She snuck a glance at Hiei, as he watched the spectacle through disinterested and slightly disgusted eyes. Even if if he hated crowds and noise, she had a feeling that he was also a bit comforted by this familiarity.

"I take it things are back to normal, now?" Shizuru asked, pulling Botan from her thoughts.

"Huh?"

She tore her gaze away from Yusuke and Kuwabara's spectacle and regarded Shizuru through a confused frown.

"With you and Mr. Broody?" the brunette clarified.

"Oh," Botan replied, before nodding. She recalled all the surprising things he had said to her that night and the agreeable way he had acted with a fond smile. "Yes, we're just fine now. We talked it over and he made things right, in his own way."

"Glad to hear it."

"Thank you again for all of your help," Botan said with a smile.

Shizuru matched her expression warmly.

"It was nothing."

Their moment was interrupted when Yusuke slammed his mug down on the wooden table just second before Kuwabara did.

"Told ya I'd win," he boasted.

"One more round, Urameshi! This time, I'll win for sure!" Kuwabara proclaimed.

"Fine!"

The night continued to pass on in a carefree fashion, everyone wrapped up in their own conversations and happenings, until Yusuke suddenly cleared his throat.

"We'll go get the next round," Yusuke offered, nudging Kuwabara.

Kuwabara barely concealed his grin, before nodding and taking a stand as well. They were up to something, but Botan couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Kurama, help us out?" Yusuke urged.

"I didn't realize it took multiple people to fulfill such a small task," he said, but stood up nonetheless.

"You're coming, too, Hiei," Yusuke ordered.

"What?" Hiei barked out.

"Unless you'd rather sit around and listen to girl chat, that is," Yusuke quipped with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

Hiei frowned darkly, causing the girls to laugh at his expense as he stood up.

Once they were out of hearing range, Botan turned to Keiko.

"So, tell us, has Yusuke caught onto any of your hinting yet?" she asked, leaning forward to hear her response.

The brunette sighed and shook her head.

"Not yet," she lamented miserably. "I don't want to force him into it or anything, but he sure is taking his sweet time."

"Cheer up, Keiko! He'll pull through one day, he always does," Botan encouraged.

"Botan's right," Yukina supported. "Yusuke may seem as though he's oblivious, but I think he knows your heart."

Keiko smiled.

"Thanks, but I think you're the luckiest out of all of us," Keiko admitted, looking over at the aqua-marine haired woman with a grin. "Kuwabara is so loyal, earnest and sincere. Plus he wears his heart on his sleeve so you never have to wonder where you stand."

The smallest smile curved Yukina's lips upward as she nodded.

"Kazuma has always been like that," she recalled. "It's a bit difficult for me to express myself the way he does, but I've always admired how open he is."

Botan's brows rose slightly. She knew that Yukina was more subdued than the others due to her upbringing as an ice maiden, but it was interesting to note that she was the same way in this world. Perhaps it was a family trait, since Hiei had much difficulty expressing himself beyond the realms of frustration, anger and disgust. If that was the case, they had a lot more in common than anyone realized.

"How are you doing with Hiei?" Keiko asked.

"Oh, we're fine," Botan answered.

"Hiei should stay on his toes. One of these days, Yuuto might just sweep Botan off her feet," Shizuru joked.

"What?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed the massive crush he's harboring on you," Shizuru stated. "I'm pretty sure everyone in the office knows about it."

Keiko giggled.

"Really?" she asked. "You've got an admirer at work?"

"I just thought he was simply being polite!" Botan exclaimed, her face flushing in embarrassment.

"You really are oblivious sometimes," Shizuru teased.

"Remember that time Shishiwakamaru was hitting on her at last year's Christmas party and she didn't realize it, either?" Keiko pointed out with an amused giggle.

Botan's eyes widened.

"I-it's just that I'm so perfectly content and happy with Hiei, that I don't seem to notice anyone else!" she defended.

The girls laughed at her expense and Botan pouted as she sucked up the last remnants of her mixed drink through her straw. So, she was a bit oblivious sometimes, it wasn't like it didn't happen to everyone! Luckily for her, the conversation moved away from her naivety and onto Shizuru's lovelife. That was something that Botan excelled at prying into.

They continued to chatter on as the night flew by, none of them noticing the absence of the guys until Botan glanced over to the bar to see what they were up to. She had a bad feeling tugging at her gut and her instincts were usually right. When she spotted Hiei sitting on the bar stool with five empty shot glasses in front of him, she realized why that foreboding shadow had befallen her.

"When I told him to loosen up, I didn't mean for him to take it to this extent…" she muttered to herself. She regarded the rest of the table with a sheepish look as she rose to her feet. "Excuse me for a moment, girls..."

As she approached the bar, she watched Yusuke and Kuwabara nearly fall over themselves in laughter, apparently amused by something Hiei had said. While she was glad to see that he was indulging in a little leisurely fun, something about the scene was not right. The glaze in his crimson eyes and the color in his cheeks indicated that he had gone far past his limit. He must have not realized that his tolerance was significantly lower in this dimension.

"What are you boys up to?" Botan asked conversationally.

"Oh, you know, just grilling Hiei," Kuwabara replied.

Botan frowned in confusion.

"Why on earth would you do something like that?" she questioned.

"Ever since Yusuke and Kuwabara learned that Hiei was the honest drunk, they've been determined to return him to that state," Kurama filled in helpfully. "He usually never falls for the bait, but as you can see, he's had a bit too much to drink tonight."

"Hiei's an honest drunk?" Botan repeated, unable to get past that particular piece of information.

Yusuke chuckled.

"I know you're a scatter-brain, but there's no way you could have forgotten about this," he admonished. "Watch this: Hiei, what part of Botan turns you on most?"

Hiei looked over at her, his gaze roving downwards.

"Legs," he answered honestly, before he set his sights a bit higher. "Her ass is a close second."

Botan nearly choked on air, her eyes widening at Hiei's response.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed as the others erupted into a fit of laughter around her. Botan felt a blush crawling all the way down to her neck and she fanned herself in an attempt to cool down.

"Be honest," Yusuke began, wiggling his eyebrows with a lewd look in his brown eyes. "Was Botan your first?"

"You don't have to answer that, Hiei!" Botan defended, shaking her head at him.

"My first what?" Hiei questioned.

"Your first love," Kuwabara cut in.

"She's his only love, doofus," Yusuke interjected, smacking Kuwabara upside the head before turning back to Hiei. "I'm asking if she's the first woman you ever slept with."

Hiei glanced over at her casually, before nodding.

"She was."

Botan's face flushed a darker shade of red, but Yusuke didn't seem to be satisfied with Hiei's answer. He leaned closer towards the drunken man, gaze narrowed as he scrutinized him.

"...Is he screwing with us right now?" Yusuke wondered. "I was totally testing him with that question and he failed."

"How was that a test?" Kuwabara asked.

"If he answered honestly, we'd know that he's really reached his limit. But if he lied to save his own hide since Botan's here, then we'd know he's still in control of his mind and his tongue."

"Oh, heh, I see," Kuwabara replied.

"And that just means that we need to supply him some more drinks until drunk Hiei comes out to play," Yusuke concluded, signaling for Chuu to supply them with another round.

"I think you've liquored him up enough!" Botan exclaimed, stepping between Yusuke and Hiei.

"Clearly we haven't, if he's lying!" Yusuke countered.

"Or perhaps he is simply answering you literally," Kurama corrected.

Kuwabara's features lifted as a realization dawned on him.

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense."

Yusuke looked between the two, before raising a brow.

"I'm not following."

"Me either," Botan admitted.

"Well, we all know that shorty was really loose back in the day-" Kuwabara regarded her with an apologetic look. "Oops, sorry Botan."

She frowned in confusion, wondering why he was apologizing to her. She didn't care about Hiei's past history with other woman and it certainly didn't offend her. It wasn't as if they were—oh, that's right. In this world, they were a couple and hearing about Hiei's past conquests would naturally upset his girlfriend. Perhaps she shouldn't have had so much to drink, either. She would have to be more vigilant, seeing as Hiei was clearly down for the count.

"That's alright, you can continue, Kuwabara," Botan soothed.

"So, it's like, even if he _slept_ with a lot of woman, he didn't really _sleep_ with them," Kuwabara explained with a proud grin.

Botan and Yusuke exchanged confused glances, before Yusuke looked over at Kurama.

"Can you translate? I don't speak 'idiot'," Yusuke stated flatly.

"What he means to say is: before Botan, Hiei was in a string of casual relationships that were based solely upon a carnal need. I doubt he stayed long enough to spend the night, or, in this case, "sleep together" in the same bed with his past flings."

"Is that what you're saying?" Yusuke asked, looking down at Hiei. "Are you being literal with me?"

The raven-haired man nodded with a smirk.

"She's the first woman I ever slept with," Hiei admitted after finishing off another shot. "In fact, we did it last night."

"Hiei!" she yelped, slapping his arm in indignation. "Stop humoring Yusuke, you'll give him strange ideas!"

"But it's the truth," Hiei maintained.

"I don't care!"

Yusuke grinned.

"Even when he's drunk, he's still a slippery little bastard," he quipped as he rubbed at his chin. "Guess I have to word my questions carefully then…"

"Oh, no you don't, Yusuke!" Botan snapped, before rounding on all of them. "It's not right for you all to take advantage of him when he's in this state."

"But shorty hardly ever gets drunk. And I like him way better when he's like this," Kuwabara admitted.

"Well, he will be livid when he finds out that you were all asking him such intrusive things!"

"Aw, lighten up, Botan. It's not like he's saying anything new. We all knew Hiei was an ass man, isn't that right, buddy?"

Hiei shrugged, before reaching out to take another drink.

"I think you've had more than enough, mister," Botan said, pushing the shot glass just out of his reach. He frowned at her, but she held her ground. She was afraid that he might start blurting out the wrong things - like the fact that he was from another dimension and that he wasn't in a relationship with her - so she did the only thing she could do. "In fact, it's gotten pretty late, so I think we should probably head home now."

"It's only eleven; the night is young!" Yusuke argued.

"Yes, but I'd rather not have Hiei suffering a massive hangover tomorrow," she supplied. "We've got lots to do."

"Sure you do," Yusuke teased cheekily.

Botan wasn't quite sure what Yusuke was getting at, but she was sure that it was something lewd. She opened her mouth to scold him, when Kurama intervened.

"Ignore him. He's had his fair share of drinks, too," the redhead urged calmly, before looking down at Hiei. "Do you need help getting back home?"

"Oh no, that's quite alright. I can handle him," Botan responded. "Besides, I think you'll have your hands full with those two."

Yusuke and Kuwabara had taken to singing some song that Botan was not familiar with and she smiled at him sympathetically.

"Tell the girls I said bye?"

Kurama nodded as Botan tugged on Hiei's sleeve.

"Come on, sweetheart," she said sweetly.

"I'm not your-"

Botan clamped a hand over his mouth and forced a tight smile over her features.

"Let's go, snookums!" she urged, before dragging him out off the stool and out of the bar.

They stepped outside, the cool night air feeling like heaven on her overheated skin. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself and gather her thoughts as she looked over at Hiei. All in all, it was a good night. Now all that was left was getting back to the apartment without any further incidents.

"What was that all about, ferry-girl?" he asked.

She turned to face Hiei slowly.

"I realize you're drunk and your mind is a muddled mess, but you have to be more careful," she advised.

"Why?"

"We're trying to keep the others unaware of the fact that we're from another dimension, remember?" she reminded him. "We can't let them know that you're a fire-demon and that I'm a ferry-girl and that we are not really in a relationship."

"Why?"

"Because it's forbidden to!"

Hiei winced.

"When your voice gets shrill like that, it makes my eardrums bleed," he informed, lips pulled dangerously close into a pout.

"Well, excuse me for being shrill! That seems to be the only way to get through to you!"

He winced again but did not bother responding.

"Come on, let's just go," she urged.

Luckily, he listened and followed after her. As they made their way through the streets, Botan noticed the uncoordinated way that Hiei was moving forward. She paused and looked over at him sympathetically. It was certainly a shock to see the fire-demon lose some of his control like this.

"Here, you can lean on me," she offered.

Hiei stopped moving and stared at her blankly. Normally, he would have insulted her for even offering him help, or he would have brushed her off and insisted that he was fine. But this time, he just gazed at her as if he was trying to figure her out.

"Why?" he asked.

"Not this again..." she muttered, slapping a hand to her face in frustration.

"Why do you want to help me?" he clarified.

"Because I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself?" she tried.

Something flickered across his face, before he nodded his assent and allowed her to wrap an arm around him. He placed an arm over her shoulders and together, they continued onwards. Even though he had agreed to let her help him, he refused to lean his weight on her. She was wondering if she was even helping at all, when he interrupted the silence that had enveloped them with a startling statement.

"You smell good, woman," he noted.

"Um… I…"

"You look good, too," he added as an afterthought.

Hiei had never commented on her appearance before, not even when she asked his opinion. Her brows lifted, before she broke out into a smile.

"You really think so?" she asked.

He nodded wordlessly.

"Well, that was awfully sweet of you to let me know!"

"I'm not sweet," he denied.

"You are!"

"I simply said what came to mind," he replied, looking a little confused with himself now. Perhaps some of his sobriety was returning if he was finding his actions strange.

Botan giggled, before turning her eyes forward.

"I like drunk Hiei!" she decided.

"You like everything," he countered, lips quirked upwards slightly as they continued onwards.

She matched his expression, reveling in just how open he was as opposed to his normal state. It would be a shame to let the moment pass, so she decided to see what she could get out of him.

"Say, Hiei? What do you really think of Kuwabara?" she asked.

A look of disgust passed over his features.

"He's a fanciful imbecile," he snarled, before his features loosened from the tight look of anger. "But he isn't as useless as I first perceived him to be."

"And Yusuke?"

"An immature fool, that always manages to pull through in the end."

"Kurama?"

"An insufferable know it all," Hiei replied. "And a pain that speaks the truth."

Botan smiled knowingly. Despite his apparent frustrations with the team, he did seem to respect and value them on some level. That was good to know.

She was tempted to ask what he really thought about her - they were in a good place now and she was almost certain that his opinion of her might have been more positive than negative - but she decided against it in the end. Perhaps one day she could ask him all of this when he was sober.

"You haven't asked about yourself," he noticed. Perhaps even without his jagan, Hiei possessed the uncanny ability of reading people's minds or maybe it was written all over her face. Who knows.

"Am I that predictable?" she asked sheepishly.

"Always."

"Well, if you must know, I was tempted to ask..."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because, even I know that it's best to leave some things unspoken."

"Hn."

They made it to the apartment without any further incidents and she watched with amusement playing in her eyes as Hiei plopped down ungracefully on the bed. She never thought she would have the chance to see this side of him and it was interesting, to say the very least. He had no filter. No guard. No walls. Perhaps this is what he would have been like if he didn't have such a rough and tumultuous past.

"How do you feel?" she asked, taking a seat beside him.

"My head aches and I'm thirsty," he replied honestly as he sat up.

"Well, lucky for you, I've got just the thing!" she cheered.

He peered up at her curiously, keeping silent as she disappeared and then re-entered a few moments later.

"These will certainly do the trick," she promised, holding out two pills and a bottle of water.

Botan sat beside him, watching him curiously as he paused to examine the tablets in the palm of his hand. A single dark brow lifted in suspicion as he regarded her.

"You aren't trying to poison me, are you?"

"What?" she spluttered, completely caught off guard by his suspicions. "Hiei, I would never—I can't believe you even thought that I'd—"

"Hn, it was a joke," he interjected.

Botan's mouth fell open in shock.

"I wasn't aware that you had a sense of humor," she admitted.

The ghost of a smirk appeared on his lips.

"There is a lot you don't know about me, woman," he said, before downing the pills and half of the water bottle. He held it out towards her wordlessly and Botan frowned down at the gesture.

"You should drink the entire thing," she instructed.

"You finish it."

"Hiei-"

"I saw you guzzle down two of those blue concoctions back at the bar," he explained. "And I know that this is the last bottle of water left in the apartment, so I'm telling you to take the rest."

Botan's brows rose slightly. She wasn't aware that he noticed anything but his own displeasure, so the fact that he had paid enough attention to her to see what she was drinking and how much she had consumed was a bit of a shock.

"Take it," he ordered as he pushed the bottle into her hands.

Their fingers brushed together for a moment, causing Botan's heart to pick up speed against her will. It was awfully considerate of him to even bother saving her the rest of the water, so she nodded and brought the bottle to her lips. When she was done, she stood up and glanced down at him.

"You should wash up and head to bed now," she instructed good-naturedly.

"I'm not a child, woman," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I know that. But you probably should get a good night's rest and let your body recover from all of that alcohol you drank. Your tolerance must be much different without your usual abilities."

"Fine," he conceded after a few moments of contemplation.

Botan smiled. He was much more compliant when he was in this state of mind and she almost wished she could keep him like this for a bit longer. Her train of thought quickly derailed as Hiei started stripping off his shirt and casually threw it on the floor

"Hiei, we talked about this! At least have a little decency."

He grunted dismissively and Botan shook her head.

"I'll be outside if you need anything," she said, grabbing her pillow. "Have a good night."

Hiei paused to look back at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I just thought it would be better if I slept on the couch tonight," she explained.

"You should sleep in here," mumbled lowly.

Botan blinked slowly.

"Are you offering to take the couch instead?" she asked, bringing her hands up to cup either sides of her face. "Oh my, you really are a sweetheart, aren't you?"

"No, you misunderstand," he said with a shake of his head. "Our sleeping arrangements shouldn't change. It was already agreed upon that we would both share the bed; there is no reason for you to make things more difficult than they have to be."

"I was only trying to make it easier on you!"

"You shouldn't care about things like that," he warned.

She frowned as his face went blank.

"I wonder why you do," he continued.

"I've told you why time and time again, you just don't seem to listen or believe me."

"Tell me again."

"But you hate it when I get sentimental…"

His gaze fell away from hers and she suddenly felt guilty for calling him out on his rare moment of curiosity.

"But I suppose I can say it over and over again, until it finally sticks," she amended with a light smile. "I do these things because I consider you my friend and I care about you. It's as simple as that."

Dark brows furrowed over shaded crimson eyes. Hiei seemed to be in deep thought, conflicted over her words.

"Perhaps you care too much, woman. And for the wrong sort of people," he warned.

Botan swallowed back her response, unsure if anything she said right now would actually get through to him. He looked mildly troubled for a moment, but then the uncertainty vanished from his expression and was replaced by a determined resolve.

"I don't need to be coddled and you don't need to be inconvenienced," he decided. "You should sleep here."

"You want me to sleep here with you?" she tested curiously.

"Only if that's what you want."

She held his gaze wordlessly, an unspoken understanding passing over them in that moment.

"…Alright," she agreed finally. "I'll stay."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer, before closing the bathroom door behind him.

Botan didn't move or breathe again until she heard the sound of water spraying against the shower floor. Hiei was such an enigmatic fellow and he just kept on surprising her at every turn. She raised her fingertips to her heated and flushed cheeks before lowering her hand to rest over her racing heart.

"How strange…" she muttered, noting the way her heart beat wildly beneath her chest as a new and strange sensation coursed through her veins and overtook her entire being.

It must have been the alcohol.

* * *

Poor Hiei, first he's struck with the awkward boner and then I get to butcher his character by making him drunk for half of the chapter. Will he ever get a reprieve? Who knows?

Anyway, this chapter was supposed to cover the entire weekend, but it was getting too long so I cut it short. Part 2 will hopefully be posted within a week's time and it will involve some good old-fashioned domestic HB.

Hope you guys enjoyed this one! Let me know your thoughts~


	11. Chapter 11

-slides chapter towards readers and then nervously retreats-

* * *

Hiei exited the bedroom in a state of disorientation. His mouth was dry, his head was aching and the recollections of last night were fuzzy at best. He hadn't felt this way in a long time; in fact, he had made it a habit to avoid partaking in the exact activity that lead to feeling like this, so he had to wonder what happened last night. He spotted Botan lying languidly on the couch, typing away on her phone without a care in the world. When she finally took notice of him, she sat upright into a seated position and afforded him with a bright grin.

"Good morning!" she chirped cheerily.

Hiei winced, her voice sounding much too loud and much too shrill in the midst of his headache.

"Lower your voice, woman, there's no need to shout when I'm two feet away."

"Oh, sorry," she said sheepishly as she took a stand. "I figured you might be feeling icky today, so I took the liberty of getting some things from the convenience store."

"You didn't have to do that," he discouraged.

"I know, but I wanted to," she replied easily. "I got you a breakfast sandwich as well. I figured you'd be hungry."

His stomach made an embarrassing sound and he tensed up, cursing this infernal human body for betraying him at every turn. Botan smiled knowingly, motioning for him to follow her as she led him to where his sandwich and drink rested on the kitchen counter. He noticed one of those sugary chocolate confections sitting on the counter as well and couldn't help but glare at the offending item.

Botan giggled behind her hand.

"Kaisei insisted on getting that for you," she explained, before setting a bottle of pills beside his water. "But you probably shouldn't indulge in your sweet tooth until you've taken these pills. They should help with your hangover."

"I don't have a sweet tooth," he denied stubbornly. "And I'm not hung-over."

"Of course not," she agreed, choosing to humor him.

Hiei rolled his eyes before proceeding to wolf down the food in front of him. Botan was too absorbed in whatever it was that she enjoyed doing on that cellphone of hers and the apartment was shrouded in a haze of peace and tranquility. He admittedly started to feel better once his stomach was full, he was hydrated and he had downed the pills, but he was still upset that he had allowed himself to get to this state. He turned to the ferry-girl, who was typing away on the stool beside him, and decided to ask the one question that was on his mind.

"What happened last night, woman?"

Her thumbs stopped moving and she looked over at him hesitantly from under a mass of powder-blue bangs and rounded brows. She seemed to be searching for the right words, her amethyst eyes flitting everywhere but on him.

"You had a bit too much drink," she explained carefully as she set her phone down and placed her full attention on him. "One thing led to another and… well… to put it bluntly: you got drunk."

His face twisted into a look of concentration as he tried to remember what happened. The damn detective and the oaf had pulled him away to the bar. They were being their usual, annoying selves and had goaded him into a drinking contest. He wasn't sure why he gave in or how much he had to drink, but one thing was clear: his tolerance had taken a serious hit upon crossing over to this accursed reality.

He mentally cursed himself. He had allowed his ego and pride to rank above his judgment and he had inadvertently fallen right into Yusuke's trap. He should have known better, he should have refrained. He knew very what happened when he got drunk and he loathed to think about how the events of last night might have played out.

"…Did I say anything strange?" he asked eventually, brow furrowed.

The ferry-girl's lips twitched upwards for a moment, before she controlled herself and shook her head. She might have thought that she covered her amusement well, but it was still lingering in her candy colored eyes.

"Nothing to worry about here," she insisted as she tried and failed to keep her expression level. "You were a perfect gentleman the entire time."

"And you're a horrible liar," he accused.

Her posture wilted as she sent him a guilty look.

"Was I that obvious?" she asked sheepishly.

"Painfully," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know or are you going play coy again?"

Botan hesitated for a moment, before looking back over at him.

"Um... well… you were just…" she trailed off. "You were very honest and open about everything."

He couldn't suppress the groan that slipped past his lips.

"But it's alright, you didn't say anything too embarrassing," she reassured. "Besides, I quite liked drunk-Hiei!"

He frowned at her, wondering what was wrong with the woman if she actually enjoyed his presence while he was intoxicated. She must have had a screw loose or something, but he supposed it didn't matter. It wasn't as though she would ever have be chance to experience it again.

"Don't get used to it," he warned. "I won't fall for the detective's half-brained schemes a second time."

"Oh, but you really should," she encouraged, clapping her hands together. "You were so nice yesterday!"

"Nice?" he spat out in disgust.

She nodded excitedly as she continued.

"You saved me some water and you insisted I sleep on the bed. Oh, and you even complimented me, too!"

Hiei swallowed thickly and looked away. He had never made it a habit to go past his limit, but when he did, he knew that his guard had lowered considerably and he often said and did things that were contrary to his character. Kurama often claimed that he was his truest self when he was intoxicated, but Hiei did not want to know why his truest self was suddenly flattering the ferry-girl and being uncharacteristically agreeable towards her.

"Do you seriously not remember anything at all?" she questioned, tilting her head with a pout.

He recalled flashes of the entire group, the myriad of color and sounds within the bar, the darkness of the night sky and the feeling of sinking into the bed after a long, tiring day. He remembered Yusuke's cocky grin, Kuwabara's slightly slurred words and Kurama's calm composure, but the clearest memories of all mostly involved the ferry-girl. He could hear her rich laughter in his ears and he remembered the stretch of her lips as they extended into a warm smile. He recalled brightness of her eyes against the darkness of the sky and the way they tinged with emotion whenever she looked at him. It made his chest feel heavy and his insides strange, so he pushed it away.

"It's spotty," he admitted, brow crinkled slightly.

"Well, that's alright. It's nothing you'll miss, anyway," she dismissed. "I got you out of there before you could really say anything damaging."

He lifted his gaze from the floor to look over at her. Although he couldn't remember how exactly he had made it to the apartment in his drunken state, he had made it back nonetheless. And his hangover wasn't as severe as it should have been, considering how little he remembered. The ferry-girl must have taken care of him. She must have done too much for him, again. He looked away, finally taking notice of the mass of plastic bags on the opposite counter and he frowned. They didn't look like the ones from the convenience store.

Botan followed his gaze and explained.

"We were running seriously low on food and other essentials, so I took a little trip to the grocery after stopping at the Sanada Convenience store. Kaisei was kind enough to join me and help me lug everything back here."

His brow twitched. He knew that the boy harbored some sort of immature and childish affection for the ferry-girl, so it wasn't a surprise that he had offered to go with her. But, once again, he was reduced to being useless.

"I stocked up on all sorts of vegetables and meats, but I don't suppose you're any good at cooking, are you?" she asked hopefully.

He shook his head with a grunt. Other than roasting the remains of his latest hunt over an open fire, he was sorely out of his element.

"Oh poo…" she lamented, a frown tugging at her lips.

"You should cook," he decided.

"What?" she exclaimed at his sudden and unexpected declaration. "Why me?"

"I've seen you in the kitchen with Yukina during those pointless gatherings I'm always reluctant to attend. You have been exposed to this world for longer than I have and therefore you should be in charge of the cooking."

Botan hesitated, lips twisting into a frown.

"There's only one problem with that…"

He raised a brow as she muttered out the rest of her statement incoherently.

"I can't understand you when you mumble like that," he said.

"I can't cook, okay?" she blurted out, her cheeks stained red in embarrassment. "I've never had the need to before."

"I figured as much," he admitted. "But you can learn. Out of the two of us, you are most suited for the task."

"Because I'm a woman?" she tested, brow arched warningly.

"Because you are more familiar with the customs of this world," he clarified.

Her expression settled into one of deliberation as she mulled over his words. She must have realized that he had a valid point, because moments later, she nodded her head in resignation.

"Oh, alright… I'll give it a try," she relented, folding her arms underneath her chest. "But what will you be doing while I'm slaving over a hot stove, hm?"

He held her gaze evenly, steeling himself for what he was about to say. He knew that it would come to this when he decided to task her with the duty of preparing their meals and he had already made his mind up on how he would contribute.

"I'll clean."

"Huh?" she faltered slightly.

"If you cook, then I'll be the one who takes care of the cleaning," he announced.

Her brows drew together as she eyed him suspiciously. Silence passed over them, stretching out in the spaces between them for several long moments. He wasn't sure why she looked so doubtful of him. It didn't take much skill or experience to clean and he had heard her lament over the disorderly state of the apartment on more than one occasion. She should have accepted his terms, but instead, she was staring at him as though he had two heads.

"…Are you sure you're not still drunk?" she questioned, pointing a suspicious finger at him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked in annoyance.

"Because that was uncharacteristically thoughtful of you," she teased.

"It's logical," he corrected. "We entered an alliance and agreed to work together; it's only natural that you pull your weight and I pull mine."

"I see," she said as a smile overtook her expression. "Fifty-fifty, huh?"

He nodded wordlessly and her smile brightened.

"You really are a nice guy deep down, aren't you?"

He was far from nice, but he knew that anything he said to the contrary would fall on deaf ears. He had quickly realized that making her see him through anything other than rose colored glasses was a lost cause and, although the familiar itch of irritation should have ran through him, he found himself oddly at peace with it.

"Believe what you want," he said instead, turning away from her and shoving his hands in the pockets of his dark sweatpants.

"I will."

"And more importantly," he added, glancing back at her from over his shoulder, "Try not to poison us, woman."

"I'll do my best," she promised with a salute. "Happy cleaning, Hiei!"

-x-

And that is how he found himself scrubbing the bathroom floor like a common peasant hours later. He had already taken care of the living room and the bedroom and he had saved the most disgusting task for last. It was hardly any consolation, but he could hear the ferry-girl having a hard time amidst the clattering of pots and pans as she frantically made her way around the kitchen.

Although the task was menial and mind numbing, a peculiar thing happened as he set about accomplishing it. As he began to clear up and discard items, his mental state became clearer and a sense of calmness ran through him. Mukuro always said he should take up meditation or some sort of therapeutic activity to quell his anger, so he found it ironic that something as domestic and mundane as cleaning would do the trick. Though, now that he thought about it, he had always found a sense of peace and calmness when cleaning and polishing his sword, so perhaps this fell under the same sort of concept.

After minutes of scrubbing and disinfecting with the tools the ferry-girl had given him, he returned to the living room. Botan was grinning from ear to ear, standing amongst a dirty and disheveled kitchen. His eyes narrowed as he took in the state of disarray of cutlery and ingredients. He hoped she didn't expect him to clean all of that, because he had no intentions of doing so.

"Let me just tidy up and then we can have lunch," she offered, as though she had read his mind. "Would you mind moving the dishes over to the table in the meantime?"

He nodded and did as she had asked while she busied herself with cleaning up the kitchen. The entire apartment was permeated with a mouth-watering scent and, if the woman was any good at following instructions, then the food would taste just as good as it appeared it be. Taking the seat farthest to the left, he strummed his fingers against the smooth, dark wood of the dining table as he glanced around idly.

The curtains near the kitchen window and the dining area were drawn back, allowing the midday sun to pour through and light up the area. The entire apartment was clean, light and airy; a picture of comfort and luxury from the stainless steel appliances, to the plush furniture, to the rich wood floors and the decorative pieces laying around. It was a far cry from what he was used to.

His days here were filled with peace and comfort: two things he had never had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with up until now. As a warrior, he did not particularly care for such things and learning to adjust to his current situation was difficult, to say the very least.

His entire life had been entrenched in violence and bloodshed. He had lived for the fight and relished in every victory. Even when he was stuck in the human world, he still engaged in many missions and faced off against surprisingly strong opponents. It was simply the life he chose to lead and it pleased him greatly.

But this world was entirely different. The only danger he faced was with the job and that was of a different caliber than what he was used to.

Although he enjoyed the solitude and quiet - peace was an entirely separate entity that he had yet to become familiar with. It rested uncomfortably in his chest and strayed just beyond the edges of his comprehension. It made him uneasy and uncomfortable and he wasn't able to settle into it in the same relaxed way the ferry-girl had allowed herself to. This domesticity was something he never expected to experience and if someone had told him that he'd be spending his days living like a human with a ferry-girl as his main ally, he would have thought them to be clinically insane. But here he was, doing exactly that.

He glanced over at the blue-haired woman again. She had certainly made things much easier on him. She knew all about this world and the way it worked. She didn't delight in his suffering. And she encouraged him - though he didn't think he needed it.

She believed in him, time and time again and she welcomed him, over and over.

No one had ever bothered to treat him the way that she did. No one had ever bothered to care the way that she did.

And if she could do all of that for someone like him, then perhaps he could do the same for her as well, to a lesser extent, of course. Perhaps it would do the both of them well if he no longer regarded her as a mere guide to this world or a source of knowledge he could use and then toss aside. She was his ally, yes, but he supposed that after everything that transpired between them, he could at least try treating her like the thing that she was so desperate to be: a friend.

After all they had been through and all they were forced to be – allies, roommates and fake lovers – being her friend shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

In fact, it shouldn't be that hard at all. If he was being honest with himself, she wasn't exactly as bad as he had first thought her to be. They got along when it mattered and they coexisted fairly well. Her company wasn't entirely horrible and she even had a way of making things less severe than he had perceived them to be. There were worse people he could have aligned himself with; the ferry-girl was probably a step up, all things considered.

"Alright!" Botan said, taking a seat across from him. "Dig in!"

He stared down at the spread of meat and vegetables. Botan watched him expectantly as he picked up his chopsticks and procured a piece of beef. He chewed on it slowly, keeping his expression stoic, despite the fact that it tasted a bit bland and not nearly as delectable as the meal Yukina made.

When he lifted his gaze, he was met with the sight of the ferry-girl staring back at him from the edge of her seat.

"How do you like it?" she asked, wringing her hands together nervously.

He swallowed slowly, biting back the blunt words that would have normally slipped out of his mouth and instead settled for a nod.

"It's fine," he told her, surprised by his own tactfulness. She was uneasy enough as it is and he saw no reason to further exacerbate her nerves. The food was fit for consumption; that's really all he needed in the end.

Botan looked down at the food, before fishing out a small piece of meat and tasting it for herself. Her nose crinkled in distaste and then her expression fell in disappointment.

"It's..." she trailed off, failing to find the right words. "Well… I suppose I can only get better from here…"

"It doesn't matter, so long as it's edible," he replied.

"The taste is important, too, though!" she countered heatedly. "Maybe I can ask Yusuke or Yukina to give me some pointers…"

"What would the detective know about cooking?" he questioned in confusion.

"He's an excellent cook," Botan revealed. "Why, in our reality, he took over as the main chef at Keiko's family's restaurant. Didn't you know?"

He shook his head. He didn't make it a priority to keep in touch with the others in the past few years. He had only checked in on Yukina periodically and even then, he remained in the shadows and out of her way. Seeing everyone again with such frequency was just another change that he was learning to adjust to.

"That's alright. It's not like Yusuke advertises his culinary skills or anything," Botan dismissed with a shrug. "But if you ask me, it's the one thing he should be bragging about."

His gaze fell away as he considered just how much time had passed and how little he knew about the happenings in the human world. His decision to remain a part of Mukuro's camp was a good one; life was more than satisfactory there and he was free to live his life the way he pleased. Yukina was safe and taken care of in the human world and that was enough. But now that he was afforded the time and opportunity to comprehend just how detached he had become from all of them, he found himself wondering what life was like for his former allies.

"What else changed?" Hiei asked, unable to stop the words from spilling out of his mouth.

"Hm?"

"Since I left for the demon world," he clarified.

"A lot has happened, but everyone has basically stayed the same at their core. They've all started up their careers and become more settled as adults – which is to be expected. Much like in this world, Kurama studies botany and Kuwabara and Keiko are both teachers. Shizuru's in the corporate world and she seems to be doing quite well, too."

"And Yukina?"

Botan blinked in surprise.

"I thought you've been checking in on her all these years?"

"I only locate her long enough to ensure that she is safe," he explained. "That is all."

"I see. Well, she's acclimated to the human world pretty quickly, though she's still holding onto her fear of cameras," Botan noted fondly. "She's taken up a few hobbies, like cooking and sewing, and she excels in whatever she puts her mind to. She's content… and comfortable…"

He knew her well enough to catch the shift in her expression and the slight pause in her words. It was obvious that her next sentiments wouldn't sit well with him, but he wanted to know them anyway. He needed to know.

"Tell me whatever it is that you're so reluctant to say," Hiei prompted calmly. "I won't fault you for it."

Botan bit at her bottom lip before relenting.

"…The truth is, even though Yukina is content and well provided for, it's quite clear that the thought of her brother still weighs heavily on her heart. I don't think she has any intentions of ever giving up hope that one day, she will find him."

Hiei swallowed thickly, his fists clenching tightly around his metal chopsticks. He hoped she would have abandoned such a futile goal by now, but it appears as though his sister was just as persistent as he was. She was unwilling to let him go and he was unwilling to burden her with the truth of their relation.

"It's alright, though," she said. "Yukina's a strong girl and I'm sure you'll make the right decision in the end."

"What?"

"I'm saying that you shouldn't worry. It'll all be fine," she soothed. "I've got full confidence in you, Hiei!"

His brow crinkled and jaw ticked as he tried to make sense of how she could speak with such surety in her voice and sincerity in her eyes. The woman was truly an enigma, but even more troubling was the fact that his previous agitation had begun to ebb away. The tension in chest released as he lessened his grip on his chopsticks.

"Plus, there's no sense in lamenting over anything while we are trapped here, anyway," she pointed out lightheartedly. "And I'm curious to hear all about what you've been up to in these past few years. How has life been at Mukuro's fortress?"

He arched a brow, nearly impressed with her ability to change the topic so fluidly and effectively.

"I'm sure it wouldn't interest someone like you," he dismissed.

"And what is that supposed to mean, mister?"

"Politics and military tactics don't seem to be fall within your avenue of interest."

"Well, I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't interested in knowing," she said as she propped her elbows propped up on the table and rested her chin in her hands. "So, tell me: what's a day in the life of Hiei like?"

He didn't understand why she was curious to know about him, so he pursed his lips shut. He never made it a habit to talk about anything personal and the thought of it didn't settle well with him.

"Come now, it isn't nice to leave a girl in suspense like that."

"…"

"Hiei!" she whined.

"It's what you would expect," he answered, if only to get her off of his back.

"Can't you elaborate?" she pried, leaning forward with a pout.

He averted his gaze.

"There isn't much to say."

"Well, what do you do in the mornings?"

"Train."

"And in the afternoon?"

"Assess the recruits."

"And at night?"

"Spar with those worthy of my full strength."

"…So you basically spend all your time fighting?"

"Not exactly," he corrected, unsure of why he even bothered telling her in the first place. It was surprisingly easy to talk to her and he had been indulging in conversation more often than not now that he was constantly around her. "There are meetings that I'm forced to attend and expeditions that must be held."

"Well, that sounds thrilling!"

"Hn, I'd hardly call it that."

"Can you tell me about the excursions or are they top secret business?" she asked, unable to hide the excitement from sparkling in her eyes.

"It isn't entirely confidential..."

"Oh?" She leaned forward, interest piqued.

"And if you weren't such a blabbermouth, perhaps I would consider telling you," he taunted, suppressing a smirk as her features twisted into a frown.

"That's not fair, Hiei, I'm perfectly capable of keeping a secret!"

"The amount of times you almost revealed my relation to Yukina says otherwise," he countered.

"But I never actually told her! I always caught myself beforehand."

"Only after I had already intervened," he reminded her.

"That's-" she tried to argue, a single finger poised and ready, before she deflated in defeat. "That's absolutely true."

"Hn," he grunted, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

The ferry-girl tapped a finger at her chin before casting scrutinizing eyes at him.

"Come to think of it, how exactly were you able to interject at the right time?"

"It was easy when I had low expectations regarding your ability to keep your mouth shut."

"I don't know, Hiei, it almost sounds as though you had been spying on me!" she said, her voice lilting with playful undertones.

"I wasn't," he denied.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, I suppose I should give you the benefit of the doubt," she conceded. "But even if you just so happened to pop into my mind at the right moment, it was awfully rude of you to do so. And you always said such cruel things to me, too!"

"I've come to learn that threats worked far better than anything else," he defended.

"Maybe so, but a little kindness goes a long way," she lectured.

"It isn't in my nature to be kind," he reminded her.

"Drunk-Hiei says otherwise…" she sing-songed.

He rolled his eyes as she laughed to herself.

"I'm thrilled that you can find humor at my expense, woman," he spat.

"So am I!"

He cast her one last disparaging look before shoveling a portion of rice into his mouth and chewing more vigorously than needed. As he worked on clearing out the rest of his plate, the ferry-girl filled the silence between them with small talk and random details that were of little consequence to him. Normally such empty chatter would cause his blood to boil, but instead he found himself oddly familiarized with the melodic tones of her voice and he had to admit to himself that spending the evening like this wasn't entirely unpleasant.

* * *

The next morning Botan let out a contented sigh as she burrowed further into her pillow. It was so warm and so firm and she had never felt as comfortable and relaxed as she did now. She inhaled a deep breath, mildly registering Hiei's scent as she exhaled slowly. She was two seconds from falling back into the lull of sleep, when something tightened around her snuggly. Her eyes flew open in a flutter of blinks and she had to stifle a gasp when she finally became privy to her very precarious predicament. Over the course of the night, she had somehow ventured over to Hiei's side of the bed and they ended up in an embarrassing tangle of limbs. She froze in horror, thinking of how angry he would be if he woke up right now. It would be such a shame to be the reason behind his ire - especially considering how content he appeared to be right now.

Botan spared a moment to examine his peaceful visage, amethyst eyes trailing over the slant of his brow, covered in a mess of raven bangs, and the surprising length of his lashes. Her gaze continued its downward trajectory, taking in the straightness of his nose, the curve of his lips and, finally, the strong cut of his jaw. When he wasn't angry or annoyed, his features were actually quite beautiful. She had always found him handsome, but she would probably die of mortification if he ever found that out. Her musings were cut short when he suddenly tightened his hold on her, pulling her against firm muscles and into the heat of his body. She stiffened underneath his hold, afraid that the slightest movement would wake him. It was common knowledge that Hiei was averse any sort of close contact and she would hate to have to deal with the embarrassment of him waking up and becoming privy to their current position.

She glanced up at him, noticing the distinct change in his expression. He looked so pained and troubled and she wondered what in the world could have changed his disposition so rapidly. She had never considered the thought that Hiei might be plagued by nightmares before, but she supposed it made sense. He had witnessed and experienced more than enough horrors for one lifetime; it wouldn't be that much of a stretch if they manifested in his dreams.

She wished she could help him somehow, but that would involve waking him up and that was not something that either of them needed right now. All she could do was bide her time and ignore the fact that this position wasn't exactly uncomfortable.

Luckily for her, it only took a few moments longer before his expression smoothened out and his grip slackened. Wasting no time, Botan breathed out a quiet sigh of relief and hastily detached herself from him. She briefly mourned the loss of comfort and warmth that came with his touch, but decided not to dwell on it as she detangled herself from the bed sheets and removed herself from the bed entirely.

After getting herself ready and presentable for the day ahead, she set about whipping up a tasty breakfast. Eggs, sausage and toast were much easier to make than the replicated sukiyaki dish she had attempted last night and she was delighted when she realized that Hiei had actually enjoyed it. After breakfast, he moved towards the couch and was currently glaring daggers down at his phone. Botan wondered if he was having trouble navigating through the various applications or if he had just received bad news through text message, but when she looked down at her own phone, she quickly realized what had bothered him so. Staring back at her was a batch of embarrassing pictures from Friday night that Yusuke had taken the liberty of sending via group message. He and Kuwabara were currently filling up the chat with immature jokes at everyone else's expense.

"Their humor is crude at worst and simple at best," Hiei scoffed. "I thought they would have matured more by now."

"I've come to learn that those boys will always be young at heart," she replied.

"Hn."

Both of their notification sounds went off at the same time, prompting them to return their attentions to their respective phones. Botan glanced over at Hiei warily when she realized that their jokes were now all centered on "drunk-Hiei" and the telling comments he had made that night. He set his phone facedown with a snarl, muttering a few curses under his breath.

"They're just teasing you because they like you, you know," Botan soothed good-naturedly.

His mouth slanted downwards and she couldn't help but find that little pout on his face adorable. It was a good thing he didn't have his precious jagan eye with him, because he surely wouldn't appreciate the direction her thoughts had taken.

"I'd prefer it if they left me alone," he grumbled.

"I don't know, it feels kind of nice. Familiar, in a way."

"Maybe for you, woman," he said gruffly, lips pulled downward into a frown. "But I could do without it."

"Well, luckily for you, I've got insurance in times like these," she said, grinning at him playfully, before searching through her phone.

He raised a brow at her, his usually monotonous tone tinged with curiosity as he spoke.

"What are you doing?"

"Defending the Prince's honor, of course," she joked as she typed away on her phone.

"Woman-" he warned, but it was too late. His cellphone sounded off and he eyed her warily. "What did you do?"

"See for yourself," she encouraged with a self-satisfied grin.

Hiei begrudgingly reclaimed the thin, black device and glanced down at the screen once more. As he took a moment to process the image, Botan basked in her handiwork. She had sent an unflattering photo of both Yusuke and Kuwabara sticking straws up their noses with a clearly drunken flush adorning their cheeks to the group chat. Their expressions were wild and disorientated, their dark pupils filled with the haze of intoxication. It was completely and utterly humiliating and she was sure that it was the perfect retaliation for all of the teasing they'd been doing early.

 _"At least Hiei doesn't behave like this~"_ she sent through text.

Shizuru was the next to make a ribbing comment.

 _"You know it's bad when there's no clear distinction between their drunken antics and normal behavior."_

 _"I don't think they've matured at all since high school."_ Keiko followed.

Botan sent a mischievous looking cat emoji to the group, before turning to face Hiei.

"And that's how it's done," she said with a mock bow. "Does that please you, Prince?"

"It would please me if the peasant girl would drop the act," he mocked. "Arrogance doesn't suit her."

"P-peasant girl?" she stuttered out, eyes wide in disbelief. "Is that how you treat your faithful and loyal knight?"

Hiei propped his elbow upon the armrest of his chair and rested his cheek against his fist. He probably didn't realize it, but his current position resembled that of an unimpressed and disinterested prince sitting on his throne. As he cast his eyes upon her, a roguish glint colored them in a way she had never seen before.

"All I see is a self-important blabbermouth," he drawled out.

Botan let out an affronted gasp and grabbed the first thing she could find: the decorative pillow that adorned the couch. Winding her arm back, she threw the makeshift weapon at him as hard and as fast as she could. Hiei didn't seem to be alarmed at all as he caught it effortlessly and placed the pillow behind his back. He then proceeded to settle into the couch with his arms behind his head and a smug look on his face.

"You're an absolute menace, Hiei," she huffed, though she didn't feel nearly as offended as she looked.

"I know."

"I don't even know why I put up with you," she continued, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know why you do, either," he agreed.

Most of her ire vanished when she realized what they were doing. This was banter, plain and simple, and she could hardly believe she was indulging it with Hiei of all people. Keeping up with the playful spirit of their conversation, she tapped her fingers against her arm in mock consideration.

"Hm… it's must be for all that detective money you're making," she quipped.

His lips slanted upwards slightly as he cracked an eye open to view her.

"Hn. So you're shrewder than you look."

"I'm as cunning as they come. This sweet face is nothing but a smokescreen."

"I'll remember that next time you go rummaging through our finances, ferry-girl," he countered.

Botan shook her head at him, biting back a laugh as she fell out of character. She didn't think Hiei had a sense of humor at all - not unless it involved bloodshed or violence – so this sudden turn of events was highly unexpected. Looking down at the empty couch adjacent to his, she decided to take a seat and join him in companionable silence. She was originally going to propose that they go out and do something today, but strangely enough found her desire waning. The apartment felt a little more familiar to her now and its pull on her was nearly magnetic. Besides, Hiei seemed to be in a fairly decent mood today and the thought of spending alone time with him didn't seem as off-putting as it would have a mere week ago.

-x-

Later that evening, Botan sat on the bed with three items lain out in front of her. Two were expanding files – both of which she knew were full of personal information from her previous exploits – and the last was leather bound journal that the other Botan kept in her nightstand. She was itching to learn more about this world and its inhabitants, but she thought it might be best if she waited on Hiei. After all, it was imperative that they both gather as much information as they could.

She glanced down at the file that she knew belonged to her and allowed herself to imagine what it would belike if she had a family here - if she had any parents or siblings. She wondered what they might look like, or how they would act, and she wondered if they resembled each other or were polar opposites. One thing was for sure, though, no matter what, she was sure that they would be amazing. A rush of excitement ran through her at the thought. Ever since meeting Yusuke and the others, the thought of family crossed her mind more often than she cared to admit. It was impossible in her world, but maybe she had family in this world. She had to have parents at the very least, as her counterpart was a human.

She grinned when she heard the shower stop running and mere minutes later, Hiei finally stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of flannel pants and a faded black t-shirt.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand.

"Don't," he said. "I can already tell by the look on your face that you're about to propose we do something unpleasant."

"I was only going to ask if you were feeling up for a little investigative research," she said cheerily.

"What?"

"You know… researching our counterparts some more and learning about our situation?" she explained. "Do you want to?"

"Not particularly," he declined as took up residence on his side of the bed.

"But it could be fun! And it may prove to be useful down the line," she reasoned.

"Not interested," he said as he closed his eyes.

"Oh, just humor me, will you?" she urged, dropping the file on his midsection and secretly enjoying the way he jolted in alarm.

He sat up and glared at her, but Botan was ready with a counterattack.

"Fifty-fifty, remember, dear?" she said sweetly. "You do your part and I do mine."

Hiei's expression darkened when he realized that he was bound by the laws of his own honor-code and he opened the file with a vicious scowl. She figured it would be best if he went through the other Hiei's file for the sole sake of granting him some semblance of privacy. If there was anything in there that he didn't want her to know, he was more than obliged to lock it away in his memory and keep it to himself. It was only fair, after all. Her eyes lingered on him for a bit longer and once she was sure that Hiei was doing as she requested and not simply going through the motions, she turned her attentions towards her own file.

She took a deep breath and collected it in her hands. Excitement and curiosity buzzed within her and she couldn't wait to find out more about the other Botan's life. Steeling herself, she carefully opened the file and shuffled through its contents. She disregarded the old passports, certificates and other important things until she reached the last few documents. They appeared to be from an orphanage and she felt a little of her excitement chip away.

Shaking her head, she tried to dislodge the empty feeling that had begun to settle in her gut. It would be fine. Perhaps a wonderful couple adopted her or maybe she had been a part of a sweet foster family. Yes, she was most sure of it. She—

Botan paused when she came across a police report attached to the documents. Her heart caught in her throat when she read it over, that terrible sense of dread welling once more.

She had been abandoned on the side of the road as a newborn, left to die with no known family or caretakers.

Her fist clenched at her side as her features pinched in regret. She continued to read over the information slowly and she couldn't help the way her expression fell. It was silly of her to let her hopes up when it seemed as though she was forever destined to be alone. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took in a ragged breath of air as she pushed the file aside.

"Woman."

Botan flinched in surprise, having completely forgotten that she wasn't alone. Hiei was staring at her peculiarly and she looked away, feeling ashamed all of a sudden.

"What did you see?" he asked, although it sounded more like a demand for her to tell him what he wanted to know.

"It's nothing…" she lied.

"Botan," he pressed again.

"It's nothing, Hiei. Really, it's not important."

"Then it isn't worth your tears," he advised simply.

Botan blinked, causing a couple of teardrops to fall and streak down her cheeks. So that's why her vision had gotten blurry. She wiped at her eyes and avoided his gaze, feeling silly for letting her emotions get the best of her like that. She expected for Hiei to look away or drop the subject, but his eyes remained on her. There was no judgment or disgust within his crimson eyes, and the way he was staring at her made her want to tell him everything.

"I just hoped I might find some family or relatives somewhere, but it looks like I have none," she confessed. "The Botan of this world grew up in an orphanage after being abandoned on the side of the road by her parents and discarded like common trash… She doesn't even have any distant relatives or any connection to her bloodline."

"…"

"I know it's silly, but I had hoped…I just wanted…" she trailed off, biting back her tears.

"Family isn't all it's made out to be," Hiei said lowly, crossing his arms over his chest. "Trust me."

She thought of Hiei's tumultuous past with a heavy heart. He was abandoned and cast out mere moments after birth by the very people who were supposed to be his family; his kinfolk. She was dismayed to learn that such depravity was rampant in the human world as well – and she even had the misfortune of witnessing atrocious acts of violence, neglect and hatred enacted between families and friends and within communities. It was a little naïve of her to hope that she would have family and decent people caring for her in this world, but she couldn't help it. She brushed the tears aside again and took in a shaky breath.

"There is no need to long for something you already have," Hiei reminded her evenly. "Family isn't limited to or bound by blood."

She swallowed thickly as she thought of everyone back home. Her friends. Her family. The people who always stood by her side. Her heart swelled for them and she immediately understood.

"You're right," she realized, nodding in agreement. "I do have a family, even if it is a little unconventional."

He held her gaze understandingly and a warm wash of comfort flooded over in that moment.

"Thanks Hiei."

He nodded and then returned his attention to his file, dispelling the strange air around them in lieu of getting back to the matter at hand.

"There is nothing of importance here," he reported, pushing the file back towards her. "Just records and details that are of no consequence to us now."

Botan nodded, before bringing the leather journal between them.

"I was also going to go through the other Botan's journal. Perhaps it might have some clues or important information for us. Do you want to join me?"

Hiei glanced down at the book, before looking back at her with firm resolution in his eyes.

"Give it to me."

"Huh?"

"You're not in the right frame of mind read it through, but it will have little to no effect on me," he explained. "Give the journal to me and I will let you know if there is anything crucial within its pages."

Botan blinked in surprise, her eyes still wet from crying and her emotions still running high. She wondered if Hiei was trying to spare her from anymore upsetting news and, if that was the case, she thought it was awfully sweet of him. He might be rude and brash, but moments like these served to remind her that he had a kind heart. Even if he didn't believe it, even if he couldn't see it, she could. She smiled at him and nodded, relinquishing the book to him. He leafed through it quietly, his sharp eyes narrowed in concentration and lips pursed together in that familiar way it did when he was focusing on something. Botan didn't know why she was holding her breath as she waited for him to provide her with any sort of news, but she was a little scared of what they might find in there.

"Hn, this is more of a diary than a journal. All you're doing is talking about your feelings."

Botan's eyes widened.

"Are you certain?" she asked, shuffling closer to him.

"See for yourself," he said as he passed it back to her, their fingers brushing against each other and sending a rush of warmth through her. It reminded her of this morning, when she woke up tangled up in him and she could feel her cheeks heating up at the mere thought of it. But this was neither the time nor the place, so she pushed aside the memories and focused on her flowery script instead.

The journal held most of her counterpart's thoughts and emotions over the course of her stay with the other Hiei. It was easy to empathize and understand the other Botan's point of view, especially since she herself had just spent a little over a week getting used to the idea of living with her own Hiei. It was a little amusing seeing how things played out through her counterpart's eyes and she looked up at Hiei knowingly.

"Well... the other Botan certainly wasn't too keen about having to move in with you at first," she publicized.

"I'm sure the feeling was mutual," Hiei replied.

She wholeheartedly agreed. The first part of the journal mostly detailed how often she and Hiei fought, how rude and mean he was and how he seemed to delight in her torment. If she continued reading on, she was sure that she would get a first-hand account of how her feelings morphed from a deep dislike to an all encompassing love, and she wasn't quite ready for all of that. She doubted Hiei would want to read about that, either, so she quickly flipped towards the end of the journal and searched for any pertinent information.

"Look, I wrote a passage after the case was over," she said, pointing over to the words. "Apparently, the stalker was someone we both know."

Crimson eyes followed her finger, narrowing once they had processed the new bit of information.

"Toguro," he said lowly.

"It had to have been the elder brother," Botan concluded, wrapping her arms around herself as she shivered involuntarily.

"You never specified which one it was," he pointed out. "Why would you assume it was the elder Toguro?"

"Because he was a complete and utter creep!" she exclaimed, her skin crawling at the thought of him.

Hiei seemed to consider her words for a second, before letting out a low sound of agreement. She closed the journal, before setting it in her lap. She didn't want to think about what her poor counterpart had to go through during the course of the stalker-incident, but at least she had Hiei and the others by her side.

"Well, it's safe to conclude that the events from the past have absolutely nothing to do with our current situation with the lizard demon," Botan finished.

"Stands to reason that it doesn't," Hiei determined. "The lizard was linked to Mukuro's camp, but he didn't intentionally target us. We were just caught in the crossfires of his greed and ambitions."

"That's true…" Botan agreed. She flopped backwards onto the bed, looking up at the white ceiling as she let out a sigh. "If only you knew his name. Then we'd at least have something to go by."

He crossed his arms over his chest, mouth pressed into a firm line and Botan quickly shot back up into an upright position. Hands raised in defense, she backpedaled.

"Not that I'm blaming you for not knowing," she amended sheepishly. "I was just saying..."

"I know."

"But I suppose there's no use in dwelling on what can't be changed," she decided. "We simply have to be patient until the team manages to locate us."

" _If_ they locate us," Hiei corrected.

"They will!" she guaranteed. "Inter-dimensional studies are a very tricky topic; it just takes some time is all."

Hiei was silent and so she continued.

"We've done a stellar job assimilating to this world so far," she encouraged. "It should be much easier from here on out and it will only be a matter of time until we're back where we belong. You'll see."

Hiei sent her a withering look, but it was a halfhearted gesture at best, the heat gone from his tone and the usually accusatory look in his eyes absent he spoke, "Does that optimism of yours ever run dry, woman?"

Botan shrugged before grinning.

"One of us has got to keep the optimism alive!"

"Hn, if you say so," he relented.

Her reply was interrupted by a yawn as a wave of tiredness washed over her. She glanced at the clock, noting that it was only nine o'clock. It wasn't particularly late, but they did have work in the morning and she didn't see the point in forcing herself to stay awake.

"I think I'm going to turn in," she announced, gathering up the folders and the journal and placing them on her nightstand.

She heard Hiei grunt noncommittally and by the time she turned around again, he was already occupying his side of the bed with his eyes closed. She smiled at him fondly, before moving to gather a change of clothes and entering the bathroom.

Hiei had really outdone himself when he cleaned up; everything was still spotless and shining, and she was thoroughly impressed. After tying her hair up – she decided to wash it in the morning – she turned on the water and waited for it to get as warm as she liked it to be. She then stepped inside of the shower and relished in the feeling of the water on her skin, deciding to take her time to de-stress and relax. The bathroom was covered in steam and remained that way even after she had dried off and changed into her pink and white pinstriped pajamas. It wasn't as bad as it got when Hiei had finished taking his famously hot showers, but it was still difficult to see clearly, so she decided to crack open the door and leave it slightly ajar in order to air the place out. She was in the middle of brushing her teeth and humming a tune when Hiei unexpectedly entered without bothering to knock or seek permission beforehand.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"What?" he asked, reaching for his toothbrush.

She spit into the sink and fixed him with a displeased frown.

"What's wrong with you? You can't just barge on in whenever you feel like it – especially not when I'm already here!"

"The door was open."

"But what if I was indecent?"

"You're not."

"What if I was?!"

"I could see you through the crack in the door, woman. I knew that it was fine."

Apparently Hiei was finished with the conversation, because he turned to face the porcelain sink and began to brush his teeth. Botan resisted the urge to make a face at him, before deciding to be the bigger person. She resumed brushing her teeth on autopilot, but as she glanced at him through the mirror, her movements slowed down. His hair was still damp and matted down from his shower, dark locks dropping down slightly from its spiked up state. His shoulders were tensed and relaxed and his aura was calmer than usual. She doubted many others had seen him like this. She was probably the only one. It was strange, but when they did domestic things like this he almost seemed-

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Hiei's voice interrupted her thoughts, echoing off of the bathroom tiles and startling her.

"N-no reason!" she lied, depositing her purple toothbrush in the ceramic holder, before reaching for her face cream. She avoided any further eye contact with Hiei and suppressed a sigh of relief as he faced the mirror and resumed his earlier task.

Her mind strayed back to her original thought as she worked the facial cream into her skin. She wondered if any of the others had known Hiei as intimately as she did. The amount of times she had seen him nearly naked was starling, to say the least, and the sides of him that she had seen during their stay in this dimension were more telling than she could put in words. Why, up until a week ago her interactions with the fire-demon had all been professional and within the line of duty, but now things were different. She had seen him with bedhead and sleep-filled eyes on early mornings and late nights. She caught the way he made slight faces at drinks and foods that he didn't like and the way his expression shifted slightly when he happened upon something that suited him. She had seen him taking public transportation, she had witnessed him fumbling with a tie and she had watched him learn to use a cellphone successfully. Even seeing him doing something as mundane and routine as brushing his teeth was an odd mix of satisfying and fascinating to her.

"Woman, I'm only going to ask you one more time: why do you keep staring at me with that curious look on your face?" he questioned.

Botan's eyes widened and cheeks flushed with embarrassment when she realized that she had been caught again. Hiei had that no nonsense look about him – eyes sharp and mouth slanted in displeased line – and she knew that he had no intentions of letting her get away with her peculiar behavior again.

"If there's something you want to know, then just ask," he ordered.

"It's more of an observation really," she confessed. "I know it sounds weird, but… watching you brush your teeth like a normal person seems so surreal. I'll bet no one else has seen you do it before."

"Of course not," Hiei remarked. "No one else is as demented as you to take interest in something so commonplace."

"It's not only that," she defended. "It's a combination of everything. When I see you like this, I can't help but think that you look... you look so…"

"So _what_ , ferry-girl," he probed.

"So human," she finished.

Hiei's expression darkened as he frowned and Botan continued.

"Maybe that was a poor choice of words," she admitted sheepishly. "I just meant that you seem so relatable."

For once, he wasn't a demon and she wasn't a spirit and they weren't expected to hate each other or fated to never understand each other. He was just a guy and she was just a girl and they were on equal terms, on equal standing points and on equal footing. She felt closer to him – much closer than she ever thought they could be – and it wasn't half bad.

"You're not the big bad fire-demon," she said. "You're simply _you_."

Crimson eyes widened a fraction as a brief flash of shock permeated his impenetrably guarded expression. It almost seemed as though her words had touched him somehow, but the moment was gone as soon as it came. His expression became tempered once more and his eyes returned to their angular and sharp look.

"I don't know what you're getting at," Hiei said dismissively.

Botan shook her head, loose strands of hair swaying with the action as she smiled to herself. It didn't matter if Hiei didn't get it, because she was starting to understand the camaraderie that was beginning to form between them: this new and unusual bond. It was the beginnings of a real and genuine friendship and although she had no way of knowing what the future would hold, she was confident that they would get through it together.

"That's alright. Maybe someday you will."

* * *

Hi guys! I'm so sorry for the delay – I had a lot going on all at once. On top of that, I was also hit with a serious case of writer's block. I toiled away at this chapter endlessly and it took me forever to be 'okay' with it. Still not satisfied, but, whatever!

Next chapter our favorite duo will be more immersed in the outside world, but I thought it might be best if they stayed in and learned a bit more about each other for the time being. Hope you all enjoyed it.

Let me know your thoughts~


	12. Chapter 12

"See you later!" Botan bid farewell as she turned away from him.

Hiei nodded curtly, waiting until he saw her enter the large corporate building before making his way towards the station.

Mukuro was due to return today and she was the only one he really trusted to be of any use in this dimension. The traitor was connected to her army in his reality, so it stood to reason that she might know of him or his whereabouts in this dimension. Even if she didn't, it was still important to try and exhaust all of his available options. Unlike the ferry-girl, he was not content with simply biding his time until the others found a way to bring them back home. Hiei was still every bit as determined to find the lizard and make him pay for what he had done to him.

He entered the station, barely acknowledging those who had greeted him and outright ignoring Haru entirely. The light inside of Mukuro's office was on for the first time since he had arrived to this accursed reality and moments later, he finally spotted her. It was entirely strange seeing her dressed in human world clothing – dark grey slacks and a black shirt – and housed inside a silly little human law enforcement office. She belonged in her fortress, just as much as he belonged in the demon world and the ferry-girl in the wide, open sky.

He strode towards her office, tuning out the mayhem and noise occurring around him in the station. He knew that what he was about to ask her would sound strange and suspicious, but if this Mukuro was anything like the one that he knew, then she would look past all that. She was seated at her desk, rifling through a few papers with a bored expression. Faint, thin lines replaced the deep and irreversible scarring that usually marred the right side of her face. He wasn't sure how she had gotten them in this world, but he was sure that they were a result of a past trauma - even in this world they couldn't escape their dismal pasts. Her mechanical eye was predictably nonexistent, and instead two blue orbs stared back at him with a familiar air of authority.

Before Hiei could get a word in, Haru interrupted.

"Mukuro it's good to have you back!" he announced, bursting through her office door. "We missed you!"

Hiei expected her to brush him off, never one for open affection, but instead she merely nodded. If Hiei didn't know any better, he would actually think that she was fond of the fool.

"Hiei missed you, too!" Haru added, placing a hand on both of the dark-haired man's shoulders with a grin. "He kept asking when you would return. And he kept glancing over at your office when he thought no one was watching."

Something vaguely akin to amusement lit her eyes.

"Is that so, Hiei?" she asked, lips quirking upwards just slightly. "I didn't know you were so sentimental."

"I'm not," Hiei asserted, pushing Haru him off. "I do require your assistance, though."

"I'm all ears."

"Me too!" Haru added.

Hiei paused to fix Haru with a glare and the orange-haired man's brows rose innocently.

"What?" he asked naively.

Hiei's eyes moved towards the door and Haru's expression fell.

"I thought we were closer than that, Hiei!" he whined.

"You thought wrong," he replied bluntly.

"I might be able to help, though!" Haru insisted.

"I seriously doubt that."

"But I-"

"-Haru," Mukuro interrupted warningly. "Normally I would find your banter entertaining, but I have a lot to do today and I don't have the time to indulge in this game that you both play."

"Fine…" Haru huffed, shoulders falling in defeat. "One day, you guys are totally gonna regret always leaving me out of everything!"

He closed the door behind him and Hiei returned his attentions back towards Mukuro. He knew that his request would sound strange and nearly impossible to fulfill, but Mukuro would find a way.

"I'm looking for someone," he divulged.

A slender brow raised in slight interest.

"And does this elusive someone have a name?"

"I don't know it."

"What information do you have for me?"

"A vague appearance."

Her expression remained one of mild intrigue, never once falling into a look of uncertainty or doubt.

"Go on, then."

"He's average height and build. Dark hair and eyes."

"…Awfully descriptive," she noted.

Hiei ignored her snide remark and continued.

"There is reason to believe that you may know him… a past associate or partner. Someone who may have reason to be untrustworthy."

"The last person who betrayed me was an ex-lover, and you know him well enough by now," she reminded him.

Hiei stared back at her blankly, not having the slightest recollection of who she was referring to.

"Are you pretending you don't remember Yomi now?" she asked.

A look of disgust swept over his features and left a bad taste in his mouth. Mukuro and Yomi? He shuddered at the thought. As far as he knew, Mukuro had never been involved with Yomi in that way and he had no idea that she was even inclined to the idea of it. Dislodging that disturbing image from his mind, he quickly returned to the matter at hand.

"It isn't Yomi. But the one I'm searching for is out there."

"This could all go much smoother if you bothered to procure a name," Mukuro admitted.

Hiei opened his mouth to protest and she raised a hand to silence him.

"But I will do my best to compose a list of people who may fit the description," she finished.

Hiei knew that she would and he couldn't bite back the ghost of a smirk that appeared on his face. He nodded at her once, before turning to leave. He had only made it as far as the door, when her voice halted him in her tracks, the sudden change in her tone causing him to go on alert.

"I'm assuming this has to do with a personal matter," she stated.

He turned back to meet her eyes challengingly.

"Is it a problem if it does?" he tested.

"You know that you should not be taking the law into your own hands."

His gaze hardened. He was not from this world and, as such, its rules didn't apply to him. He wasn't doing anything but extracting the justice he deserved.

"I'm not."

"You think I don't know you well enough to see that defiant look in your eye?"

"It's none of your concern," he told her dismissively, fists balling up at his sides involuntarily. "You needn't be involved in the finer details."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her blue eyed gaze unwavering and hard.

"Trust me, I don't care to know any more than I already do. As your superior, I'm warning you not to do anything rash."

The instinct to follow orders that had been instilled within him after all those years of working as her right hand man was rising within him, but it was not enough to squash the fires of vengeance that were already there.

"Mukuro-" he started.

"And as your friend, I'm asking you not to involve yourself in trouble," she continued evenly. "You have a lot of people who care for you and would be distraught if anything happened to you. I refuse to have any of that on my conscience."

The anger drained from his expression and from his countenance in that very moment. It was such an uncharacteristically sentimental urging that all Hiei could do was pause to consider it. It was clear that the other Hiei had forged many bonds and relationships with the people that had surrounded his life. Hiei had lost that along the way in his own reality, separating himself from the team and his sister, and he was only now starting to realize what he had inadvertently given up. He wasn't the type who craved friendship and family, but he was starting to learn the importance of them during his stay here.

"I can think of a certain over-emotional, blue-haired woman in particular who wouldn't handle the news well," Mukuro added pointedly.

 _Botan._ He thought of the eccentric ferry-girl for a moment, fully well knowing how she would react if she knew that he was still planning on engaging with the lizard demon. She would surely discourage him, she would worry unnecessarily and she would implore him to simply wait for their allies in their world to rescue them, but his pride would never allow it. Not when he was perfectly capable of doing his part from this dimension.

"I know what I'm doing, Mukuro," he declared. "There is no need to bring anyone else into this."

"Very well, then," she relented, leaning back in her chair with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You're free to go."

He returned to his desk with a renewed energy flowing through him. He expected to be bombarded with questions from his partner upon taking a seat, but the orange-haired man was filling out paperwork and pointedly ignoring Hiei with a frown on his face. Every once in a while, Haru would hazard a glance over at Hiei, before turning away stubbornly. It seemed he was still offended over being left out and, true to his childish personality, he was planning on drawing out his displeasure for as long as he could. Hiei briefly regarded the small pile of untouched paperwork on his desk.

Up until now, he had been burdening Haru with all of the administrative duties and the other man never seemed to mind it. He had usually taken it all in stride and worked hard so that both he and Hiei were always on top of their workload. Hiei never bothered to learn anything about these reports and what they entailed, and he honestly had no intentions of doing so. Bureaucracy was never his strong suit, so he slid his portion over onto Haru's desk without a word.

The orange-haired man paused mid scribble to look up from his paperwork.

"I'm still offended over you kicking me out," Haru revealed. "And if you think I'm doing your reports from now on, you're sorely mistaken!"

Hiei sighed. The man's anger was always thin and short-lived, but he didn't feel like waiting it out. There was one way to smooth things over between them, and Hiei was not entirely opposed to using it.

"I'll pay for lunch today," he offered evenly.

Haru's jaw dropped in surprise, green eyes wide and unblinking as he stared back at Hiei.

"Really?"

"Really," Hiei echoed flatly.

"Aw, thanks partner! There's this new burger place I wanted to try. It looks really good, but it's kinda pricey. But you don't care about that, right, you've always got extra cash to burn!" Haru ranted as he pulled the stack of Hiei's paperwork towards him. "Anyway, I was thinking of getting the deluxe super grand ultra…"

Hiei sat back in his chair as he tuned the other man out. It was pitifully simple dealing with Haru and now that his partner was appeased, all that was left was obtaining that list from Mukuro.

* * *

Botan and Hinageshi stood in the break room, topping their respective drinks with their preferred fixings as they enjoyed the fleeting calmness of an early morning.

"Ready for the week of hell?" Hinageshi asked.

"The week of hell?" Botan echoed in confusion, clutching her cup tighter in her grip as she frowned.

"It's just about that time again and we've got to work on clinching the big Akiyama account, remember? They always play hardball with us every year and I heard the competition is tougher, too, with the other corporations looking to get their greedy hands on it."

"Oh yes," Botan said, laughing sheepishly. "How could I have forgotten..."

"It kinda sneaks up on you. This year is flying by!"

Botan nodded.

"It is..."

"I'm sure not looking forward to busy days and late nights though," Hinageshi lamented, her shoulders drooping slightly.

"If it's for the good of the company, then we've simply got to play our part," Botan replied good-naturedly.

"I know."

"And if it the client insists on playing hard to get, then I suppose we will just have to put in a little more effort and care into retaining them, then!"

Hinageshi smiled knowingly, as if she had heard these words before.

"Good morning, ladies."

Botan turned to see Yuuto enter the break room, looking like a dream as always. His dark-blue hair was always impeccable, his clothes always tailored and his expression always agreeable. It was a wonder how some lucky girl hadn't snatched him up yet.

"Mornin'!" Hinageshi returned, while Botan could only wave dumbly at him.

"Ready for what's in store?" he asked them as he dropped a keurig cup of dark roast coffee into the machine and waited for it to dispense his drink.

"Botan was just giving me the usual pep-talk," Hinaeshi reported. "So I think I'm 85% ready for today."

Yuuto nodded.

"Her optimism and her will are both indomitable."

"Well, someone's got to keep team morale up, right?" Botan returned with a grin.

"That is true," he agreed.

She took a sip of her tea and breathed in a sigh. It sounded like it was going to be a pretty crazy week. She would have to try and do as much as she could without allowing her inexperience to hinder the team's success.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a harsh and berating tone.

"I hope you all aren't planning on lounging out in here all day," Koto discouraged, a manicured hand on her hip as she regarded each one of them. "We've got work to do, accounts to renew and profits to make! Come on people!"

"Ugh, just go away..." Hinageshi mumbled into her cup.

"Well, with an attitude like that, its no wonder why sales have been dropping," Koto huffed.

"We'll be out in just a minute," Botan replied pointedly.

"Make it snappy! Rest is for the weary, people!"

The brunette disappeared, probably to go and pester some other poor souls, and they all let out a collective sigh when she was out of earshot.

"That woman is so bossy," Botan complained.

"And extremely competitive," Yuuto added.

"That too!" Botan agreed.

"I think she thoroughly enjoys crushing the opposition more than anything else," Yuuto supposed.

It seemed no matter the dimension, Koto was destined to have a bit of a sadistic streak.

"It's no wonder why she can't hold down a man," Hinageshi remarked smugly.

"Hinageshi!" Botan exclaimed, caught between a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"She has a point," Yuuto acknowledged quietly. Even he couldn't prevent the amusement from curling his lips upward.

"Oh, you two are just horrible!" Botan admonished half-heartedly, shaking her head at them.

The two in question exchanged glances and Yuuto merely shrugged uncaringly while Hinageshi grinned as if Botan had just complimented her.

"Hinageshi!" Koto's screech could be heard echoing through the hallways. "I needed your report ten minutes ago!"

The redhead's expression dropped into a look of annoyance as she rolled her eyes.

"The slave-driver calls," she said monotonously, before trotting away and leaving Botan and Yuuto alone.

He smiled at her in that pleasant way of his and it was only then that she remembered what Shizuru had said about Yuuto having a crush on her. It sounded so absurd and unthinkable as he stood before her in all his gentlemanly glory. He was so put together and charming and she was, well, just herself. She wasn't as polite and endearing as Yukina, or as composed and collected as Shizuru or as intelligent and womanly as Keiko. She had seen how the other women flocked towards the suave man and she found it extremely difficult to believe that he was interested in her and her alone. Besides, he must have known that she was in a relationship by now - office gossip was serious business - and she had pictures of Hiei and the gang posted everywhere.

"How was your weekend?" Yuuto asked conversationally.

"Oh, it was pretty uneventful," she replied. She and Hiei had stayed in for the most part, but she didn't mind it at all. It was surprisingly nice to just be alone with him. He was unexpectedly sweet and considerate when he wanted to be. And he was pretty helpful too!

Yuuto chuckled.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"I just spaced out, didn't I?"

"A bit, yeah."

"I'm sorry, I was just… thinking... about..." she trailed off, unwilling to admit out loud how distracted she had gotten over the thought of Hiei. She shook her head with a smile. "It doesn't matter! We had better head back to our desks now, too. We wouldn't want Koto biting our heads off, now would we?"

"That would be unpleasant," Yuuto agreed through a smile, motioning for her to exit first.

As they walked through the halls, Botan found that she was getting more and more accustomed to the office environment. The scents of coffee and paper and ink were strangely comforting and she found it very easy to work amongst the familiar click-clacking sounds of her coworkers typing away furiously on their computers and the humming of the printer never seemed to cease as it constantly churned out materials. It wasn't nearly as crazy as the hustle and bustle of the Spirit World, but she had come to enjoy it nonetheless.

When they returned to their corner of the floor, Shizuru had already arrived and was typing away busily. The brunette looked as though she was in the middle of something important, so Botan refrained from bothering her aside from a short greeting. She then turned towards her desk and was dismayed to see that a large stack of paperwork had been unceremoniously dropped there. _'Now I know what Lord Koenma feels like...'_ she thought to herself as she took a seat. There was no way she would finish it within her normal hours and she let out a sigh as she sat down and got to working.

* * *

Hiei entered the apartment and was a mixture of disappointed and surprised to see the two menaces seated on the couch.

"Welcome home, Hiei," Fubuki said sweetly.

"Sup Hiei?" Kaisei asked, lounging comfortably as if he belonged there.

Hiei's jaw ticked in irritation, but he did his best to temper himself as he removed his shoes and ventured inside.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Waiting for you of course!" Kaisei replied.

The ferry-girl did say she would be late coming home tonight, but perhaps she changed her mind. It wasn't uncharacteristic of her to let the kids stay over, despite knowing how much they grated on his nerves. He looked around the place for any signs of the woman, but the shoes and the jacket she had worn to work were nowhere to be found.

"Where is Botan?" he asked next.

Fubuki gave a lazy roll of her shoulders. "Not sure, she hasn't come home yet."

"Then how did you two get in?" he pressed, crimson eyes narrowed suspiciously. He distinctly remembered locking the door this morning and he didn't notice any signs of forced entry upon returning.

"Botan gave us an emergency key, remember?" Fubuki reminded him.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest.

"Neither of you looks like you're in the middle of a crisis," he gritted.

"We were dying of boredom!" Kaisei exclaimed, moving to sit cross-legged on the couch. "Seems pretty critical to me."

"You know that's not what the woman intended when she gave you that key," Hiei accused.

"Yeah, mom says we should probably stop intruding in case we walk in on something we shouldn't see," Kaisei recalled with a chuckle.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei questioned.

"You know... in case you guys might be-"

"Kaisei!" Fubuki interrupted.

Kaisei rolled his eyes and it was only then that Hiei realized what the boy was getting at. The thought of even doing that with the ferry-girl was absurd. She was so prudish and innocent and his complete opposite in every sense of the word. Sure, she was attractive and he had noticed her figure on more than one occasion. He may have even had a dream about it a long time ago, but that was out of his control. It would be far different in reality, especially now that he knew what it felt like to have her body pressed against his and - oh fuck - he was actually imagining what it would be like now. Killing the thought instantly, he fixed the boy with a glare.

"Botan won't be returning anytime soon, which means you both need to leave. Now."

"Aw, don't be like that, Hiei. We're more than willing to stick around and keep you company, right Fu?" he asked, turning towards his sister.

"Yeah," she agreed, a smile lighting up her face as she looked up at Hiei. "It'll be just like old times when Mom used to force you to babysit."

Hiei grimaced at the thought. He knew that his counterpart had been acquainted with this pair for quite some time, but he never made the connection between how they had come to be such thorns in his side. Now it all made sense. The teens were related to a former detective, one who was now retired and must have outranked him. It seemed as though she dumped her children on him when it was convenient for her and, as an officer of inferior rank who conveniently lived in the same apartment, he had little to no choice in the matter. He would have pitied the other Hiei, but that sentiment, like most others, was completely foreign to him.

"Let's play Uno!" Kaisei said, pulling a deck of strange looking cards out of seemingly nowhere.

"Yeah!" Fubuki cheered.

Hiei sighed.

He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

* * *

Three hours later, Botan stood in the doorway of the apartment, surprised to see what had transpired in her absence. Hiei, Fubuki and Kaisei were seated around the living room table, each holding cards in their hands. None of them had noticed her arrival, everyone far too absorbed in whatever game it was that they were playing to care. Fubuki looked tense and focused, whereas Kaisei was doing a stellar job of maintaining his poker face. Hiei appeared to be frustrated, but determined shone in his crimson eyes as they swept over the cards in his hand.

"Uno out!" Fubuki yelled, suddenly dropping the last of her cards on the table.

Kaisei followed suit, mimicking the phrase and throwing his last card down as well. He clapped his sister's hand in congratulations and they both turned to Hiei, who still had quite a lot of cards in his tightened grip.

"You really suck at this, huh?" Kaisei taunted.

"I told you before, I don't have the time for or interest in silly little games!" he snarled, throwing his cards to the table.

"Yeah, but that doesn't stop you from trying and failing," Fubuki pointed out.

Hiei growled warningly, but Fubuki just continued to smile at him without a care. Kaisei was undoubtedly about to tease Hiei further, when he spotted her in the doorway.

"Oh, hey, Botan's back!" he announced, drawing everyone's attentions towards her.

"Having fun?" she asked them with an amused smile.

"Yeah, do you want to join us?" Fubuki asked.

What she wanted was a hot bath and her bed, but one look at the teens had her heart melting. There was absolutely no way she could turn them down, not when they both were so excited and eager for her to spend time with them.

"Of course I do!" she replied cheerfully. "Just let me change and put my things away."

"Alright, I'll shuffle in the meantime," Kaisei offered.

Botan nodded, before making her way towards the bedroom. She could hear Hiei's footsteps trailing behind her and she wasn't surprised when he closed the door behind her and fixed her with a frown. He was probably angry that she was encouraging them to stay for any longer than they already did.

"You gave them a key," he told her, his tone accusatory.

Botan blinked in confusion, not at all expecting those to be the first words out of his mouth.

"I did?"

"The other you," he amended.

"Oh," she said with a nod. "Well, it must have been for a good reason."

"It's an inconvenience."

"But they're good kids. Even you must have realized that by now."

His mouth twisted into a frown.

"They're a nuisance."

"I think they're growing on you," she sing-songed.

"And I think you're delusional," he countered, averting his gaze as he pushed his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, but you looked so focused when you were playing with them!"

"It was the only way to get them to stop pestering me," he defended.

"Sure it was," she teased, the rest of her statement getting cut off by the wave of exhaustion. She covered her mouth and let out a long yawn, feeling the vestiges of weariness pulling at her eyelids.

"You're tired," Hiei observed. His gaze was different than usual, nearly soft in its quality as it rested on her.

"It was a long day at the office," she replied honestly.

"All the more reason to send them home."

"But I-"

"-If you are too softhearted to tell them, then I will do it myself," he resolved.

He moved to exit the bedroom, but Botan grabbed a hold of his arm with both of her hands. She felt his bicep tense under her hold and she held his gaze firmly.

"Don't do that," she discouraged with a shake of her head. "I like spending time with them, so this will be a fun little de-stressor."

He searched her gaze for a few moments until the furrow in his brow straightened out.

"Hn, if you insist," he conceded.

She released him with a smile.

"It was really sweet of you to contemplate how I was feeling, though."

"Sweet?" he repeated in disgust.

"Yes, sweet!" she reiterated. "You know, thoughtful, kind, considerate, nice..."

He looked confused over it, nearly conflicted, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"In any case, you probably should go join them out there," Botan advised. "I'll be out in a jiffy – I just want to get out of my work clothes first."

"I have no intentions of going anywhere near those two," Hiei refused, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But I need to change!"

"Change in the bathroom."

"Hiei!"

"What?"

"You mean to tell me that you're seriously not going back out there at all?"

"That is what I just said," he deadpanned.

"Don't be like that, they both clearly adore you!" she argued.

"I'd rather they didn't."

"But they do! And I'm sure the other Hiei cared about them, too, so you'll at least have to keep up appearances."

His expression darkened as Botan's softened.

"It'll be fine. And I'll be there to help, if needed," she soothed.

"You're almost as bad as them," he replied disparagingly.

Botan laughed sheepishly at that. She couldn't very well deny that teasing Hiei had become a bit of a favorite pastime of hers. He sighed quietly, the tension draining from his features and she could clearly see that he was relenting to her will once more.

"You owe me for this one, woman," he said as he placed a hand on the doorknob.

She nodded dutifully.

"As you say, Prince!"

He sent her a withering look before returning to the living room. Botan was glad that Hiei hadn't put up much of a fight, because she really was too exhausted to argue. Letting her hair down from its ponytail, she rummaged through her draws for something comfy to wear. In the end, she settled for a pair of tights and an oversized blue sweater. When she rejoined everyone, Hiei was sitting on the corner of the couch closest to the bedroom, with Fubuki planted on the other end. Kaisei was lounged out on the armchair and he stopped teasing Hiei for a moment to regard her with a grin.

"We took the liberty of ordering pizza," he announced. "Got everyone's favorites, veggies for you and me, and meat lovers for Fu and Hiei."

"Sounds delicious," Botan said, trusting her counterpart's taste in food. "So what's the plan? Movies or more games?"

"Let's play," Fubuki suggested. "It's really funny when Hiei loses."

Botan stifled a laugh upon seeing the expression that Hiei made.

"Alright, but why don't we pick a new game, so that we all have an equal advantage?"

"That's fair," Kaisei agreed.

"I saw some board games in the storage closet... Let me go get them!" she announced excitedly.

And so, they spent the night eating pizza and playing board games. They talked about school and work, they irritated poor Hiei and they had a grand old time. The comfortable atmosphere of the apartment, the sound of the siblings' rich laughter and Hiei's comforting presence beside her were exactly what she needed after a stressful day at work.

It was nice.

More than nice, actually, but she couldn't find the words to describe the warmth the blossomed in her chest and the sense of belonging that blanketed her mind.

* * *

The station was always filled with noise and Wednesday morning was no different. Koenma could be heard from behind his closed doors, yelling at someone on his phone while another pair of detectives was in the middle of detaining their suspect. The man was hollering and screaming about his innocence, but he went ignored as if this was a common, every day occurrence. Off to the side, Yusuke was doing his best to scare a juvenile delinquent off of the streets with nothing more than a tough attitude and harsh words, while Haru was taking the complete opposite approach with the woman he was talking to at his desk. She was a victim from their latest case and Hiei's blood boiled as he listened silently to her recounting. There was a sexual predator who had been running rampant in the area lately and while Hiei was used to acts of violence and depravity, cases such as these troubled him more than he cared to admit. Perhaps it was because he had a sister and he loathed to think of what he would do if something like this happened to her or perhaps it had to do with his intricate and complex honor code. Whatever it was, he wanted nothing more than to find the culprit quickly and deal with him appropriately, but he was learning that the law enforcement process was a long and drawn out one.

He set aside the other witness statements with a frown as the ferry-girl entered his mind. She had been working late all week, coming home at night with no one to accompany her. She was inadvertently in harms way and she didn't even know it. If she wasn't careful, she could very well end up as one of the victims Haru had taken statements from. The thought didn't settle well with him and an unfamiliar tightness burned in his chest.

Right on time, he received a familiar message from the woman that had plagued his thoughts.

She sent him one of those annoying faces she loved using so much, with a note that he had already expected to receive: _'It looks like it will be another late night.'_

 _'I see.'_

If she had continued on with the routine she had picked up over the course of this week, she would also send him a courtesy message when she was packing up and ready to leave.

He had already decided that he would meet up with her then.

-x-

At 8:00, Hiei stood outside of Sakyo Corporation. It was getting colder each day, but it didn't bother him all that much. Staring up at the night sky, he ignored the passerby's and the hubbub of the city. When the sky was dark and the wind was cold like this, it reminded him of home.

As he waited for Botan to arrive, his thoughts foolishly drifted back to her. He remembered what she said to him in the bathroom a few nights ago. She was trying to tell him something important and he pretended that he didn't understand, but he did. She saw him - not the forbidden child, not the fire-demon, not the master of the jagan eye or the dragon - she saw who he was at his core and she still thought he was worthy of her friendship and kindness.

He still didn't know what it was that she saw him, but he supposed he didn't need to. She was free to think and feel whatever it was that she wanted. Besides, it no longer bothered him in the way it used to. He had come to accept that the ferry-girl was highly strange and nothing he said or did would change that.

He caught the sounds of a muffled conversation and his gaze snapped up to spot three people in the distance. The first was a short, red-haired girl, the second was a tall man and the third was Botan. They seemed to be joking around amicably and Hiei frowned at the way the man's gaze lingered on the ferry-girl. If she wasn't so oblivious to the outside world, perhaps she would have noticed it, too.

He stepped out from the shadows, making himself known, and Botan's eyes widened.

"Hiei..." she said in surprise.

"It's so cute, the way he picks you up whenever you're working a bit later than normal," the redhead gushed.

Hiei shoved his hands in his pockets and looked the other way. He didn't realize that this was a regular occurrence. Although he couldn't see the woman's expression, the words she said next struck his heart.

"Yeah," she agreed. "He's a pretty great guy, isn't he?"

Hiei swallowed thickly and ignored that strange feeling bubbling up in his chest. She was only playing her role, following the lines she thought her counterpart might recite. He ignored all of them as they said their goodbyes and only met her gaze once she turned back to address him.

"Were you really waiting for me?" Botan asked, pointing at herself.

"It's nothing to get choked up over," Hiei replied, averting his gaze once more.

"It's just so unexpectedly sweet of you, is all."

"I don't think you understand the meaning behind that word. You're always using it on the wrong sort of people."

She smiled, looking over at him pointedly.

"I don't think so at all. And it really was awfully sweet of you to stay behind to walk to me home."

"You take things far too personally. It just made more sense to wait."

"Well, it still warms my heart," she teased.

He rolled his eyes and faced the other way.

"Let's go."

"Okay!"

Their return trip was quiet for the most part. Botan was smiling the entire way, a delighted sparkle in her purple eyes, as she all but skipped happily beside him. He knew that she would appreciate the gesture, but he didn't think it would be to this extent. The woman was so simple and easy to please, and he supposed it was fortunate that the two of them ended up being stuck here together. He wasn't sure if he would be able to do this with anyone else.

* * *

Botan was able to wrap up a majority of her work before five on Friday and decided to call it a week. She would deal with the rest of it on Monday, but she was completely and utterly pooped for now and didn't think any good would come out of stressing herself out. Hiei accompanied her home – much to her delight – and although he never talked much, he was especially quiet this time. He seemed distracted over something. She did not want to pry, but she was also curious to see if she could be of any assistance. He currently sat on their living room couch, staring down at a piece of paper with a frown as she approached him.

"Is that a new case you're working on?" she asked as she took a seat beside him.

Hiei shook his head and Botan peered down at the sheet of paper curiously. There was a list of names on there, most of them crossed out in blue ink.

"Well, what is it then?" she probed lightly.

Hiei tore his gaze away from the names, red eyes settling on her.

"You won't like what I'm about to say," he warned.

A lance of worry ran through her chest, but she did her best to maintain her composure as she stared back at him.

"What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm searching for the lizard demon," he finished bluntly.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed admonishingly.

"I refuse to let him get away with what he's done. He will pay - for everything."

"But I thought we agreed to wait on Yusuke and the others!" she reminded him poutily.

"You agreed," he corrected her. "I didn't."

Botan sighed, rubbing at her temples to stave off the impending headache. Fighting with Hiei was like fighting with a brick wall. He was nearly immovable at times and he hardly budged from his standpoint. She could see the determination raging fiercely in his eyes and she couldn't very well fault him for wanting to go after the person who had been the catalyst to their many misadventures.

"…Nothing I say will deter you from this, will it?" she realized.

He nodded.

"Then… at least let me help you," she said.

Hiei looked as shocked as she felt by her sudden change of heart.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"If I can't stop you, then I may as well join you," she explained. "Besides, I'll feel better about this whole thing knowing that you aren't alone."

"I don't need any help," he rejected stubbornly.

"I know you don't. But I want to help anyway."

"…"

"Please?" she asked.

He held her gaze searchingly, an understanding passing between them as he nodded.

"Fine," he said, sliding the paper to the left so that she could have a better view. "Mukuro provided me with a list of people who could potentially match the lizard demon's description. I ran the names through the database at the station, and out of the ones I could find, none them bore a resemblance to the enemy."

"I see," Botan said, eyes passing over all of the crossed out entities.

"I was told that the database is only comprised of people who have criminal records, which leaves me unsure of how to find the remainder of suspects on this list."

Botan bit her lip in contemplation. Silence passed over them for a few moments, before an idea hit her.

"Oh! Have you tried searching on the World Wide Web?" she asked excitedly.

Hiei raised a dark brow.

"What is that?"

"You know, the internet!"

"I don't know what that is."

"Let's give it a go, then! I'm sure we can find something!"

Hiei looked a little confused when she led him to the bedroom and started up the laptop. As she typed away, she explained what they would be looking for.

"There are all sorts of social media websites… articles… professional websites online," she listed off. "In this day and age, it's possible to find anyone!"

"I know that you have an unhealthy obsession with the human world, but the fact that you know this much makes me question your sanity."

"I actually learned how to search for people over at Sakyo Corp.," she revealed. "Sometimes we like to look up certain clients and partners. Some of the things we find are very interesting~"

"Hn. I see."

"Alright, let's start with the first name…" she said, cracking her knuckles.

And so, they continued to search the internet, scouring through whatever results they could find until they exhausted the list in its entirety.

Botan leaned back in her chair, letting out a deep breath.

"Well, at least we tried," she said.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and let out a dismissive grunt.

"We can always check in with Kuwabara to see if he had any cross-dimensional dreams," Botan mentioned. "I'm sure he must have seen something worthwhile."

"Fine."

"Alright, I'll text him," she offered, taking a stand and moving towards her phone. When she unlocked the device, she was greeted with the last thing she had been looking at before she set it down. It was the online menu to a fancy restaurant nearby; one that she had been dying to try all week.

"By the way… I was thinking we could go out to eat somewhere special tonight," she started conversationally.

"What?"

"We've successfully completed our second week here! I think that's cause for a little celebration, don't you?"

Hiei eyed her suspiciously.

"Are you going to use that excuse every time a new week passes and you want to do something?"

"No…" she lied. Hiei stated back at her unconvincingly and she broke. "…Maybe? But that's besides the point!"

"And what, exactly, is the point?"

"The point is it's been a hectic few days and I'm too tired to cook," she replied. "I'd much rather have dinner at a nice restaurant instead."

"Hn, I can't force you to cook, so have it your way."

"Yay!"

"But you're paying. I spent most of my money on Haru's bottomless stomach this week."

"Huh?"

"…It's a long story."

"One that we can discuss over a candlelight dinner," she said, clapping her hands together excitedly. "We can make an entire date night out of it!"

"We aren't dating, woman."

"I know, but it's sort of fun to pretend that we are!"

"Fun for you, maybe," he scoffed.

"Aw, don't act as though you don't enjoy having a gorgeous girl like me on your arm, Hiei," she winked.

"That vanity of yours will get you nowhere, woman," he countered dryly.

Botan let out a light laugh and shook her head.

"Whatever you say, Hiei," she said as she turned back to her phone. "I'm going to call and see if they can squeeze us in tonight."

* * *

Botan directed him to the aformentioned restaurant with little to no trouble. It looked like the type of establishment that stuffy nobles and pompous people who wanted to flaunt their wealth occupied in his world.

"I kept seeing this place and thought it would be nice to sit down and have a meal one day," Botan said.

He grunted as he held the door and followed her inside. Upon entering, they were immediately greeted by a man with slicked back hair and an absurd looking mustache.

"Reservation for Botan, please," she said cheerily.

"Right this way," he instructed.

As they walked through the floor, Hiei noted the tasteful art on the wall and the rich colors and scents that adorned the place. They were lead to a table covered by a thick tablecloth and decorated with spotless silverware and crystal glasses. Large chandeliers hung from the high ceiling cast a soft glow over the room as music played quietly in the background.

"This absolutely place is beautiful," she breathed out, amethyst eyes taking in the sights with an awed sort of interest.

"Can we afford it?" he questioned, unimpressed by all the pomp and circumstance.

Botan read through the first page of the menu, before nodding.

"It's a little pricey, but we can make do," she replied.

He grunted in response, turning his eyes towards his own menu. He wondered if it was worth it to splurge like this, but the woman seemed unbothered by it. He supposed she knew what their combined funds were like and was confident that they had enough money. If not, he had no problem walking out without paying the bill. The woman would have to deal with it – as this was her idea.

"Oh my goodness," she whispered suddenly from behind her menu.

He squinted at her suspiciously, not at all understanding why she was acting this way.

"What?"

"Look who else is here!" she said, pointing over to the table in the far left.

Hiei followed her gaze until he had spotted a familiar head of red hair. The fox was here with that woman from the flower shop. They appeared to be in their own little world, not paying any attention to anyone or anything that surrounded them. Hiei didn't much care at all, but the ferry-girl's already excited state had increased to unbearable levels at the mere sighting of the others.

"I bet he's confessing his undying love for her as we speak," she presumed, looking over at them with a smitten expression.

"What makes you think something like that?" he asked.

"Because Kurama told me that he was going to tell Maya how he really felt about her!" she blurted out, before covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, but he told me not to say anything!"

She pouted miserably, no doubt upset with herself for spilling info that should have been kept secret, but Hiei didn't see the point in lamenting over her mistake.

"It was the fox's fault for telling you anything remotely secret," Hiei stated. "Besides, if he wanted to keep his little affair to himself, he wouldn't be out in the open like this."

"That's true… and I suppose I haven't done too much damage by telling you," she reasoned. "You're an expert at keeping quiet."

Hiei simply crossed his arms over his chest and returned his attention ahead of him.

"I don't see why you take such a great deal of interest in it either way," he said.

"I just want them to be happy."

"Why? You hardly know the woman," he pointed out.

"But she's important to Kurama and that's what matters most."

He supposed he sort of understood where she was coming from. It was for that very same reason that he had refrained from killing Kuwabara. By some unfathomable twist of fate, the oaf became important to Yukina, and upsetting her was something that Hiei could not afford to do.

"Oh my goodness, Hiei, they're coming this way!" Botan whispered excitedly. "Act normal."

"Perhaps you should take your own advice," he instructed, his expression as flat as his tone.

Botan sat ramrod straight in her chair, putting on a forced grin as Kurama approached the table with the brunette woman in tow.

"Nice seeing you two here," the fox greeted.

"You caught us on one of our date nights," Botan said sheepishly, as she reached out and placed her hand over Hiei's. He was strumming his fingers over the tabletop impatiently, but halted in his movements when her palm glided over the back of his hand. "We like to find ways to keep the romance alive…"

He inwardly grimaced at the sentimental display of affection and the equally sentimental string of words, but kept his disgust contained for now. He ignored the way her hand fit over his and looked up at the fox and his woman wordlessly.

"I'm glad to hear that," Kurama said genuinely.

"What about you two?" Botan inquired, peering over at them with curious smile.

Maya exchanged a knowing glance with Kurama, before returning her attentions towards them at the table. Her cheeks were flushed pink and Hiei could see the smile she was failing to contain.

"We're taking a page out of your book," Maya answered.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what the flower shop owner was implying and Botan let out one of those joyful squeals she was so inclined to making.

"Oh, I'm so happy for you two!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you," Kurama replied, his emerald gaze resting on Botan's in a meaningful way. Hiei could not deduce what it was about, but he supposed that she must have been his greatest support in the conquest to win the brunette's heart.

Botan nodded encouragingly.

"Well, don't let us hold you two lovebirds back. The night is young and should enjoy it!" she urged.

"You as well," Kurama returned with a chuckle.

Maya waved at them and then proceeded to exit the restaurant, weaving an arm around Kurama's. Botan let out a happy sigh as she watched them leave. She probably had all sorts of nonsensical thoughts floating through her head and that was fine, but she could have at least released him before she started daydreaming.

"Woman," he said, pulling her from whatever strange daydream she was having.

"Huh? What is it, Hiei?"

"You can release me now," he said, looking down at their hands pointedly.

Botan followed suit, a flush overtaking her cheeks as she caught sight of their intertwined fingers.

"Oopsie, sorry about that," she apologized, retracting her hand immediately.

He grunted and pulled his arm back to his side. Minutes later, he could still feel the softness of her skin and the trace of her fingers against his. It remained on the forefront of his thoughts throughout the rest of dinner, almost as if his mind was attempting to commit her touch to memory.

He wondered why that was.

* * *

Later that night, they strolled through the streets leisurely. Hiei seemed to enjoy dinner and that alone made it worth the price. Botan decided to take a different route home, providing them with a little change in scenery. As they continued walking down the streets, she spotted something that held her interest.

"Hey, look! A wishing fountain!"

"What the hell is that?"

"Just as I said: it's a wishing fountain. You throw a coin inside and make a wish. Supposedly they come true."

"It sounds like the sort of wasteful and frivolous thing that humans would do."

"Well, it's usually nothing you'll miss," she said, shuffling around in her purse determinedly. She grinned, showing off a single yen between her thumb and forefinger. "Come on, let's make a wish."

"There is nothing I wish for," Hiei refused predictably.

"I'll wish for the both of us, then," she said.

Hiei hung back as she walked towards the fountain. She took a minute to admire its beauty as the water glittered underneath the stars. It was a beautifully cool night, the streets still full of people and life even as the evening progressed. She glanced back at Hiei, already knowing what she would wish for. It might be selfish, but she didn't really care. She closed her eyes and hoped that, no matter what happened in the future, both she and Hiei would be able to remain as close as they were now. She didn't want to return home and have him forget all about her; she didn't want to go back to being irrelevant to him. If they could stay like this, no matter the time or place or dimension, then that would be nice. She would be happy. Botan opened her eyes tossed the coin inside, watching as it broke the surface of the water and sunk to the bottom of the fountain. _'Here's to hoping!'_ she thought to herself with a smile.

"Hn, don't tell me you actually think the fountain has the ability to grant wishes," Hiei mocked as she returned to his side.

"Not really, but sometimes it's nice to indulge in a little myth every now and then!"

"If you say so," he replied.

They continued walking on as Botan considered all they had been through in the past few days. It was another successful week down and they had done a pretty good job of maintaining their counterparts' identities. It probably helped that they ran into Kurama at a romantic restaurant. It would give them more credibility in the long run.

"Well, this was a nice first date, wouldn't you say?" Botan asked.

"This was not a date," Hiei denied.

"We spent time together, had a romantic dinner and now you're walking me back home," she recalled, counting the moments off on her fingers. "It could have been!"

"But it isn't."

"Oh, lighten up, will you?" she encouraged, nudging him lightly with her shoulder.

Hiei raised a brow.

"Is that what you want? For me to lighten up?"

"…Well, sure, it would be nice."

"Hn, fine, woman," he said, stopping in his tracks and causing her to follow suit. He held an arm out towards her, palm open and facing upwards.

Botan paused, blinking down at his upturned hand.

"What…?"

"You wanted a date night and I'm giving it to you."

A blush stained her cheeks as she floundered in her tracks.

"B-but we... and you..."

Hiei's lips quirked upwards, a mischievous glint housed in his crimson eyes.

"I knew that you were all talk, ferry-girl," he taunted.

Botan's mouth hung open, realizing that he had only played along in order to fluster her. When he began to withdraw his arm, she steeled herself and grabbed a hold of his hand, tightening her grip around it determinedly.

"How's that for all talk?" she shot back.

Hiei's hand twitched in his hers, his eyes widening slightly in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"A little too much contact for you, Mr. Anti-Social?" Botan asked deviously.

"Hardly," he said, his fingers closing around hers in an unspoken challenge.

"Perfect."

"Good."

"Peachy!"

"Hn."

"Hmph!"

They stared at each other for several tense moments, neither willing to back down.

"I don't know about you, but I have no intentions of standing here all night long," Hiei said suddenly.

"Me neither."

Hiei started moving first, tempering his speed so that she could keep up with him easily. Along the way, his grip had loosened and his hold began to feel familiar. It was warm and strong and sure and she almost didn't want the moment to end. Their strides began to match and her heart was enveloped with a tranquil serenity that was entirely new to her.

"I've never held hands with a man like this before," she revealed quietly, unsure of why she felt the need to say anything in the first place.

"…I don't indulge in this sort of thing either," Hiei admitted lowly.

"It feels kind of nice, though, don't you think?" she tried.

Hiei didn't answer, but he didn't let go either.

* * *

Next time, things get a little hot and steamy for our favorite pair. But not too steamy… cause this is me we're dealing with!

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please drop a review and let me know your thoughts!


	13. Chapter 13

"You hog the covers," Hiei accused.

"You're a fire demon! You don't need covers!"

"I'm more susceptible to the cold without my abilities," he reminded her.

"But even so, your body temperature still runs higher than most. You're like a human furnace!"

He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly.

"It's the principle of the matter, woman."

"Well, you snore!" she criticized.

"I do not."

"How would you know?" she challenged.

"Because there's no way you could hear me over the sound of your own snoring, ferry-girl."

Botan's mouth fell open in indignation, hands balled into fists at her sides. She couldn't even remember how this petty argument had started, but she had no intentions of letting Hiei be the victor. There had to be something she could use against him, but as she wracked her brain, she could only think of the pros of sharing a bed with the fire demon. Truth be told, it was actually kind of nice having a bedmate. Something about his presence was both comforting and familiar. Plus, the added bonus of a little contact was something that she didn't realize she had craved until now.

And then it hit her.

"Oh!" she said, a devious grin lighting up her amethyst eyes as she pointed at him. "You're a cuddler."

Hiei's proud expression fell as shock ran across his features, causing his red eyes to widen slightly. Their habit of waking up in each other's arms was something they had purposely avoided talking about and she knew that she had played dirty by breaching unspoken territory, but she couldn't back down. Not when she had the arrogant man right where she wanted him.

"I don't do anything of the sort," Hiei denied firmly.

"Then why do I wake up tangled up in you every morning?" Botan pried.

Hiei's gaze narrowed.

"Because you are the one who doesn't understand the concept of boundaries," he reproached.

"If that's the case, then why are your arms always around me?"

"..."

"Well?" she challenged.

"...You're delusional."

"You know that I'm right. You're just a sweet, mushy, gushy cuddly bear, aren't you?"

"Shut up," he growled as he advanced on her.

"I never would have guessed you were so warm and affectionate, Hiei," she continued to torment him, a feline smirk sharpening her features.

"Woman-"

"You're a regular master of cuddling!" she continued, unaware to what he was planning. "Why, you're the prince of-oomph"

The room spun around her and she was suddenly on her back, staring up at a very displeased Hiei. He had managed to pin her down on the couch, the brunt of his weight resting on his forearms and knees as he caged her down between them. Her eyes widened in alarm, and she rolled them up to meet his crimson orbs. All sounds of protests died in her throat and she immediately regretted whatever decisions she made that led her here.

"Go on," he taunted, his smirk widening. "I thought you were in the middle of saying something?"

Botan gulped.

"Hn. Cat got your tongue, woman?"

She couldn't concentrate, not when he was so close. It was as though her brain had ceased all coherent thought and all she could do was _feel_. Feel the weight of his body against hers, feel the firm muscle barely concealed by the thin material of this clothing, feel in the warmth emanating from him in waves and surrender to the tension that crackled and sparked between them.

As her heart began to speed up in that peculiar way again, a hot flush crawled all over her face. She was well aware that Hiei was a man and she was a woman and that one slight change in routine could spark a fire that neither of them was willing to discuss, but it had never happened to her before. Not with anyone. Not until now.

"Hiei…" she said unsurely.

Botan was suspended in the moment, breathless, and unable to move forward. Perhaps he was feeling similar to her, because that smug look had vanished from his features completely. Instead, crimson eyes were clouded and blown black by desire, drawing her in and making it increasingly difficult to look away.

"Hey guys!"

Botan turned her head to see Yusuke, her body tensing in surprise and shock at the sudden and unexpected intrusion.

"Ack, my eyes!" Yusuke exclaimed, throwing his hands over his eyes. "At least warn a guy if you two are gonna start getting freaky!"

Botan squealed, bringing her hand up on Hiei's shoulders in order to push him off of her, but he was immovable.

"We weren't doing anything!" she defended, drawing her gaze back to Hiei's for some backup. He was staring down at her with an intensity that she was not used to and all further protest waned away. No man had ever looked at her like that before, or at least, not to her knowledge.

"You should learn not to enter without permission, detective," Hiei replied finally, as he tore his gaze away from hers. The way his eyes darkened and the reluctance in his movements all indicated that he was more than displeased by the interruption.

Botan blinked over at Hiei in confusion as she sat up on the couch. It was strange that he didn't bother correcting Yusuke. Then again, they were supposed to be pretending to be a couple. If they suddenly started denying everything, Yusuke might get suspicious.

"Yes, Yusuke, you really should learn not to intrude like that," Botan supported.

"I knocked, like, ten times!" Yusuke revealed. "I had to use that key Botan keeps outside because I thought something was wrong."

She felt guilty and ashamed that she had been so wrapped up in the moment that she caused him to worry.

"Sorry, Yusuke, we were just…"

"Whoa, you don't have to explain or elaborate," he interrupted, hands raised in defense. "I just came to get Hiei."

When both the duo stared back at him blankly, he continued.

"We're supposed to go sparring today, aren't we?"

A sideways glance over at Hiei was enough to confirm that he had forgotten. He opened his mouth to respond, but Botan was quicker.

"Oh, that's right, Hiei did mention it earlier," she lied. "We got into a bit of a… um… lover's spat and we lost track of time…"

Yusuke wiggled his eyebrows, a lewd grin on his face.

"I can see that you two were really going at it."

Botan frowned in confusion, but Hiei interrupted.

"Don't be lewd, detective," he admonished. "Besides, you know that she's too much of a prude to understand what you're saying."

Botan glared at the both of them, before folding her arms under her chest and looking away entirely. It wasn't her fault she wasn't a raging pervert like the both of them.

"Anyway, I booked us the private room above the gym, so you better hurry up if you want to actually make it there on time," Yusuke noted, twirling his key ring around his finger casually. "I'll be waiting in the car."

The echo of the door closing reverberated in her ears, reminding her that she and Hiei were once again alone. Suddenly, their cozy apartment was beginning to feel much too small and stuffy and hot. When crimson eyes fell on her, her skin tingled with the memory of his. She gulped and looked away.

"W-well, you had better hurry up and get out of here. You don't want to be late!" Botan urged, picking up his things from the table and pushing it into his hands. "Here's your wallet and your keys…"

"Woman-"

"And your phone," she added, before practically shoving him out of the door. "Toodles!"

Hiei sent her a withering look before he walked down the hallway, muttering something about her under his breath. She closed the door once he was out of sight and placed a hand over her chest.

Well, that was certainly new.

* * *

Hiei smirked when one of his attacks connected with the detective's torso. The two were engaged in a fierce and unrelenting flurry of punches, kicks, grabs and throws. It had been far too long since he'd sparred with the detective and it was every bit as challenging and thrilling as he remembered. He always did things unconventionally and the unpredictability of his movements and actions made him a worthy opponent. He rarely held back and his raw power was just enough to give Hiei a suitable contest.

It felt undeniably good to stretch his muscles again and push himself to the limit. Even more so, after the ferry-girl had riled him up earlier and he was left with an excess of energy that required some sort of release. He wasn't quite sure of what happened between them or what it meant. He had only intended to intimidate the ferry-girl a bit and then back off, but something in the way she stared at him and said his name had captured him, rendering him immobile.

They had both done a decent enough job of ignoring the fact that he was a man with needs, but it appeared to him that she had just realized that the same applied to her, too. He almost wanted to laugh at the thought, but there was nothing funny about their situation. Living in close quarters with her was trying to say the least. Sleeping in the same bed only multiplied his frustrations. He had seen more skin from her within the past few weeks than he had within years of knowing her. They weren't scandalous in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough to stay with him. The flash of her toned stomach when she reached for something on her toes, a glimpse of cleavage when she bent over, the expanse of her legs when she had taken to wearing those short shorts to sleep...

There was only so much a man could take.

"Pay attention, lover-boy!" Yusuke's voice taunted.

Hiei returned to the present with barely enough time to dodge Yusuke's attack. He grunted when he was clipped in the jaw, bringing a hand up to rub at the tender skin. If he had gotten hit with the full brunt of Yusuke's strength, he would probably be spitting blood right now.

Refocusing his attentions on the fight, he adjusted his stance and toughened his resolve. This wasn't the time or place for him to be spacing out, so he dismissed all thoughts of the ferry-girl and focused on the present. Reading the detective's movements and patterns was hard, but Hiei was still fast enough to evade most of his blows. Never one for taking the defensive, he quickly shifted his style into a full on attack. They continued on until the room was tinted in the orange and red hues of twilight. Yusuke bent over, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Have you been sparring without me?" he wheezed, looking up at Hiei skeptically. "You were pulling out moves I've never even seen before!"

"Hn. You've just become weaker."

"Yeah?" Yusuke goaded. "Then what do you call those bruises you've got on you?"

Hiei smirked.

"Nothing but the luck of a fool."

Yusuke grinned cockily, rubbing his index finger under his nose as he stood to full height again. Hiei's arms and legs were heavy with exhaustion as he followed Yusuke into the repugnant smelling locker room, and caught the towel that the detective had thrown his way.

"So, uh, I've been meaning to ask you something..."

Hiei raised a brow, noticing the uneasy way the other man's expression tensed.

"It's embarrassing as shit, but I figured you'd understand," Yusuke continued, seeming to scramble for the right words. "I mean, you always make things look easy with that stoic and unemotional thing you've got going on, so I thought-"

"Get to the point, detective," Hiei urged, not at all wanting to ruin his high with the sound of Yusuke rambling on in circles.

"Truth is, I'm going through something with Keiko, okay?" he revealed. "And I was hoping could give me some pointers, or a game plan, or something."

Hiei was caught off guard temporarily, but he masked it well under a look of mild irritation.

"Wouldn't the oaf be better suited for this?" he questioned, discarding the towel on the bench as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'd never hear the end of it if I asked Kuwabara for relationship advice, so you better not mention this to anyone."

"You must have me confused for someone who cares enough to remember what you're about to say, let alone tell it to others."

"You make a good point," Yusuke returned with a slightly anxious laugh. "Anyway, there's this colleague of Keiko's... a really uptight and boring guy named Kaito."

"And?"

Yusuke rubbed the back of his neck. A gesture that was uncharacteristic for the usually cocky and confident man.

"And I'm not insecure or anything, but he spends a hell of a lot of time with her," Yusuke informed. "Even though she says he's just her colleague, it doesn't help that he's that nerdy, scholarly type that she gets along so well with. I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but it's getting harder and harder to resist the urge to punch that smarmy little bastard's face in every time I see him."

Hn. So the detective was _jealous_. It was almost satisfying to see the arrogant and boisterous man reduced to a pile of blithering insecurities, but his worries were completely unfounded. It was clear that Yusuke's woman was devoted to him and him alone. If she was truly interested in the academic type, then she wouldn't have stood by Yusuke's side all these years. The detective had essentially created his own dilemmas by giving in to his doubts and uncertainties. Hiei couldn't understand why humans loved to make matters so complicated, but it must have something to do with all those pesky human emotions and feelings muddling up otherwise simple matters. Fortunately for him, that was never an issue.

"So, how do you deal with it?" Yusuke probed. "I figure you'd be an expert at this since you have the same problem with Botan."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared back at the other man.

"What are you talking about?" he demanded to know.

"Keiko told me all about that _Yugo_ guy at work. You know, the pretty-boy who has the hots for Botan?"

Hiei's brow furrowed. He had no idea that the woman had an admirer at work. She had often recounted stories of her misadventures at Sakyo Corporation, but he could not recall her ever mentioning someone who was keen on her. He replayed Yusuke's words: 'A pretty boy who has the hots for Botan'… and a flash of a memory returned to him with startling clarity. It had to be that stuffy looking man who had accompanied her out of her office building one night, the one whose eyes lingered on her for too long. Hiei had dismissed it as inconsequential at the time, but he couldn't ignore the baseless agitation rising within his chest.

"We're practically in the same boat, here," Yusuke stated. "But while I'm barely managing to stay afloat, you're well above sea level. So I was wondering: how do you handle it?"

"How do I handle _what_?"

"How do you handle the fact that she works with some other guy who clearly shows interest her?" Yusuke explained. "How am I supposed to deal with Keiko and Kaito always talking about stuff that I can't understand and constantly spending time together?"

He stared back at Yusuke, tempering his expression as he fought that dark feeling away. It was entirely beneath him and there was no reason for to become threatened or bothered by some lowly human.

"You trust your woman, detective," Hiei replied evenly.

Yusuke seemed surprised by the advice, brows shooting up as he considered it.

"It's that simple, huh?"

Hiei nodded.

"It is."

* * *

Botan was in the kitchen when she heard Hiei return. She did her best to remain calm and unaffected as she turned to regard him. There was no need to be awkward or strange around him. He was her friend, after all, and no matter what happened, that wouldn't change.

"Did you have a nice time sparring with Yusuke?" she asked.

He grunted by way of reply as he continued towards the room.

"Hiei! You're hurt!" she said, forgetting everything else as she moved to examine the bruised skin on his jaw. It was discolored and would surely swell if he didn't take proper care of it. Her fingers ghosted over his skin lightly and he flinched, but he did not recoil away from her touch.

"This is nothing," he dismissed, his eyes boring into hers.

Right now the light was hitting his eyes in such a way that shifted their shade, causing them to look more ruby than crimson. They drew her in, and she couldn't help but notice other things about him as she examined his face. She followed the shape of his lips with her eyes and memorized the outline of his jaw with a curious sort of interest. It was as though a switch had been flipped in her mind and all the things she never noticed about Hiei were being illuminated before her eyes. Her gaze traveled lower, over his neck and past his collarbone, and she stopped at his chest.

She blinked and tore her gaze away, the trance broken as she removed fingertips from his face.

"You should really ice that, you know," Botan advised, taking a step away from him.

"It's fine, woman."

"If you say so," she relented, breaking eye-contact to point over towards the kitchen. "A-anyway, I made some dinner for us. I'll put the finishing touches on everything while you get cleaned up."

Her eyes trailed after him as he entered the bedroom. Hiei didn't bother closing the door as he shirked off his shirt and Botan felt her mouth go dry. She watched the way his muscles flexed and tensed beneath ivory skin and when he moved to remove his pants, she turned around stiffly and headed back towards the kitchen.

She dispelled all unearthly thoughts from her mind as she worked on adorning the rest of the dishes. In the time that it took for her to set everything up and tidy up the kitchen, Hiei had rejoined her.

"Dig in," she insisted.

Hiei followed her command, going straight for the meat first. She watched him intently, anxious to hear what his response would be. Hiei brought his gaze up to meet hers skeptically.

"Did Yukina make this?" he asked upon swallowing.

Botan shook her head excitedly.

"It was all me!" she declared proudly. "It's pretty tasty, huh?"

"It is," he confirmed.

Botan smiled excitedly.

"Yukina gave me some tips and pointers and it made all the difference. I hope you've brought your appetite because as you can see, there's a lot more where that came from!"

Her smile widened as he proceeded to taste everything without discretion. His expression was always hard to read, but she could tell that he was enjoying everything.

"I'm impressed woman," he said.

Botan opened her mouth to respond, but Hiei wasn't finished.

"I'll consider this a success if I don't wake up with food poisoning tomorrow."

Her mouth fell open in anger and she picked up a rice grain and threw it at him. He dodged it easily and continued eating with a smirk.

She picked up her chopsticks and dug in as well, deciding that she much preferred the comfortable and easy air between them to the heart racing uncertainty that had plagued her earlier. The moment had passed and there was no need to dwell on it, nor was there any sense in blowing it all out of proportion.

Things were fine just the way they were.

* * *

Another week had come and gone uneventfully. There was no news on the lizard-demon and the oaf had failed to remember any of his cross-dimensional dreams. Although Hiei had never remained in one place or with one person for very long, he had to admit that it was fairly easy coexisting with the ferry-girl.

"Hiei! Hurry up!" she urged as she barged inside the bathroom.

He was rinsing the soap off of his body leisurely, seeing no need to rush. He wasn't sure when she became nonchalant over breaking down the boundaries between them, but he didn't mind it much. Besides, the bathroom was thoroughly fogged up and he could hear her shuffling around inside the drawers, meaning that she was facing away from him and couldn't see anything in the first place. They had both been careful not to fall into any more ambiguous situations, like that blasted moment they shared on the couch, and the woman had returned to being comfortable around him in no time. He had done a decent job of curbing his desires and thoughts as well, keeping their relations purely platonic.

"Hiei! Are you listening to me?"

"We won't be late," he told her.

"We will if you continue to take your sweet time!"

"Then leave without me."

"I'd rather go together."

He sighed, shutting the water off and fastening the towel around his waist. He pushed the shower curtain aside to glare at her, but the ferry-girl was staring at him wide-eyed and open mouthed. It was clear that she was blindsided by his state of undress and he supposed it wasn't really her fault. The spirit world was filled with ogres and ferry-girls, not exactly grounds for being exposed to the opposite sex. Still, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to call her out on it.

"I didn't peg you as the perverted type, woman."

Her face flushed an interesting shade of scarlet as she gripped the comb in her hand to ground her.

"I'm not - I wasn't-" she tried to explain before huffing and turning around. "Just hurry up!"

He smirked as he watched the blue-haired woman scurry out of the bathroom. By the time he had finished drying himself off and changing into his work clothes, Botan was tying her ponytail.

"Oh, by the way, a bunch of us from work are going out to celebrate. We retained a very important account and Sakyo was pleased."

"I see."

"We're going to some lounge that Koto recommended and we were encouraged to bring others…" she informed. "Do you want to join us?"

He crossed his arms over his chest.

"You know I don't care for such things."

"It could be fun!"

"I highly doubt that."

"Hiei..."

"I'd rather stay in the quiet of the apartment than out in a crowded establishment full of humans," he maintained.

"Fine," she pouted. "But you're really missing out! Our team is the best~"

As they both exited the bedroom, an unsettling thought occurred to him. If Botan was going out with her coworkers, then a certain blue-haired man was sure to attend as well.

"…Who else will be there?" he asked.

Botan turned around to face him.

"Let's see... the ones that you're familiar with would be Shizuru, Koto and Juri," she recounted. "And the rest of the team consists of Hinageshi, Tenshi and Yuuto."

Hiei frowned upon hearing her list off that final, irritating name. He didn't like the idea of her going out with a man who clearly had ulterior motives. She was so trusting and entirely oblivious to everything around her that she didn't even notice when Kaisei was being a blatant pervert. There was no telling what she would get herself into if she went to some strange establishment with that Yuuto character.

"And what exactly is a lounge?" he questioned.

"Just a place where you hangout... there's drinks and music... and quite possibly dancing."

"Hn, it sounds horrible," he scoffed.

"I think it sounds wonderful."

"Everything sounds wonderful to you."

She only smiled at him in response and they made their way out of the apartment in silence. It was strange, but a sense of unrest ran through him for the entirety of their commute. Something inside of him refused to let her go alone; especially not when this Yuuto person would be there. It was irrational and unexplainable - this dark and angered feeling that threatened to swallow him whole - but he couldn't find it within himself to care. His instincts had never failed him before and there was no reason to ignore them now.

As they stood in front of Sakyo Corporation, Hiei steeled himself for what he was about to say.

"Even though I'm sure I will come to regret this decision, I will go with you tonight," he stated.

Blue brows rose in surprise as excitement lit up her purple eyes.

"Do you mean it?"

He nodded.

Botan squealed and hugged him tightly, practically crushing him against her chest without any restraint. He stiffened in her arms, trying and failing to ignore all the ways that her body was pressed against his.

"Oh, you're the best, Hiei!" she exclaimed, releasing him with a wide grin. She practically skipped over to the front entrance in excitement, pausing to turn back and shout out, "You won't regret it, I promise!"

Hiei had the sinking feeling she couldn't have been any more wrong.

* * *

Botan smiled when she spotted Hiei at the entrance of the lounge. She knew he would show up, but that didn't stop her from worrying when he took his sweet time getting there. She had told the others to enter without her, insistent on waiting for the fire-demon. When he approached her side, she took note of the tense and wary look on his face.

"How was work?" she asked.

"It could have been better," he admitted.

She frowned in concern.

"We'll just stay for a bit. I'm tired, too," she admitted.

He nodded and they stepped inside, the dark atmosphere of the lounge greeting them. The space was dyed in various shades of shades of blue and purple lights, an array of plush chairs and couches all keeping with the indigo theme. A little further inside sat the bar in its fully stocked glory, with a lively bartender behind the counter. The place was nice, she decided. It was still all new to her, though, so she was especially glad that Hiei decided to come along.

Botan scanned the crowd of strangers, lighting up when she finally found a familiar face.

"Hey, over here!" Hinageshi said, motioning for them to join her.

The girl was seated on a u-shaped couch, with one table in the middle. Botan entered first, allowing Hiei to take the end.

"Where did Shizuru run off to?" Botan asked.

"She's with Sakyo, of course."

Botan twisted in her chair to see Shizuru seated up in the VIP section with a certain well-known, dark-haired tycoon.

"Well, that didn't take long," she observed with a smile.

Hinageshi giggled.

"Room for one more?"

Botan looked up to see Yuuto standing near them, a smile on his face as he regarded them.

"Of course!" Hinageshi said as she moved further inside to allow Yuuto the spot on the end.

"Hiei," Yuuto greeted as he took a seat.

Hiei grunted disinterestedly.

"Antisocial as ever I see," Yuuto noted.

Botan stared at the raven-haired man warningly, not at all understanding why he was being so rude to poor Yuuto. Hiei only rolled his eyes and looked away.

"So guys..." Hinageshi started, trying to dispel the awkward air that had settled over them. "How was everyone's day?"

Botan nudged Hiei again and he bit out a gritted response.

"Fine."

"It's always a pleasure working with such high spirited and hard working women like Hina and Botan," Yuuto replied.

Hiei's expression darkened.

"I thought the point of working was to work and not ogle your coworkers," he accused.

"I simply appreciate the people who help us succeed. Or are you too blinded and arrogant to appreciate the value of what you have by your side?" Yuuto countered.

She heard the familiar start of a growl erupting from deep within Hiei's chest and she looked towards Hinageshi for some sort of help.

"Yuuto, can you help me get some drinks?" the redhead requested.

"Someone will be here shortly to take our order," he informed.

"I know, but I need to stretch my legs anyway. So, what do you say?" she pressed.

"If you inisist," he relented, taking a stand and allowing Hinageshi to lead the way.

"Let's get the most expensive drinks since Sakyo's paying!" Hinageshi suggested as they disappeared within the crowd.

Once they were out of earshot, Botan turned towards the fire-demon, who was too busy glaring out into the distance.

"What was all that about?" she asked, sorely unimpressed by Hiei's bad attitude.

"What was _what_ about?" he snapped.

"That passive aggressive argument you two were having," she asked over the music.

"Ask that pompous, self-important fool. He's the one who started it."

"Hiei!"

He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. Shades of blue passed over his face every once in a while, allowing her to see the the scowl etched deeply into his features clearly. Not only was he undoubtedly exhausted from a hard day at work, he was also angry and he stuck out like a sore thumb. While she might have enjoyed the change in scenery and the chance to socialize, Hiei surely felt otherwise. The only reason he bothered to be here was for her and the thought quickly chased away any of the indignation and irritation she previously held for the man beside her.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly.

The anger in his features lessened as he looked over at her.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I keep dragging you out to places and making you do things you don't like. It isn't fair to you at all..."

"There's no need for you to apologize," he replied tightly. "It's that bastard Yuro who's to blame."

"It's _Yuuto_ ," she corrected softly. "And I'm little shocked by his behavior. He's normally such a nice guy."

"He's nice to you for a very specific reason, woman," Hiei spat.

Botan raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"He's interested in you, and not as a friend or a coworker. He wants you to be his."

Botan's mouth fell open in surprise, a strangled noise making its way out of her lips. This wasn't the first time she was made aware of Yuuto's affections for her. Even if she found it difficult to wrap her mind around, at some point, she knew that she had to come to terms with it. And if someone as emotionally stunted as Hiei could see what everyone else had, then surely it had to be true.

"Shizuru mentioned something about it… but I found it hard to believe."

"It's pitifully obvious."

"How can you tell?"

"How can you not?" he shot back.

"I don't know," she admitted, before looking back at Hiei in uncertainty. "What am I supposed to do?"

"You shouldn't be so friendly with him," he discouraged. "It only spurs him on."

"But I can't just be mean to him out of the blue and without good reason!"

"I know, and that is part of the problem."

"Are you saying that this is all my fault?" she asked incredulously.

"No, he is the one who misread your kindness."

She sighed miserably.

"I suppose I will just have to do a better job at establishing boundaries and making my feelings absolutely clear."

"He appears to be the annoyingly persistent type," Hiei noted.

"Well, he'll have to give up eventually," she remarked. "This world's Botan is already taken."

"…"

"Oh," Botan said suddenly, as a realization dawned upon her. "Is that why you were rude to him earlier? Because he likes me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Hiei denied tightly. "I'm not so insecure as to feel threatened by someone like him."

"I didn't think you were!" she defended. "You're angry because you don't want yours or the other Hiei's reputation to be ruined, right?"

"What?"

"Surely it would be a big scandal if people started talking about me and Yuuto - even if it wasn't true. You just want to avoid all of that from tarnishing your image, right?"

Hiei's brow twitched ever so slightly as he stared back at her. He seemed at a loss for words and she didn't know why. She thought she had hit the nail on the head with her assumption, but the way Hiei was staring at her made her feel like she had missed the point entirely. Eventually, his features smoothened out into its normal look of indifference. He nodded firmly, confirming her claims as he averted his gaze.

"I don't much care about the opinions of others, but I don't like looking like a fool, woman."

She did not have the time to wonder about his peculiar behavior, because Hinageshi and Yuuto suddenly returned, with Tenshi in tow. Tenshi was practically bouncing out of his skin excitedly, appearing to be a little more than tipsy as he regarded them.

"Koto's challenging people to drinking contests," he informed. "Let's root against her."

"Yeah, hopefully we can finally see her humiliated and completely crushed!" Hinageshi proclaimed.

"Hinageshi!" Botan admonished.

"This would be an opportunity too fruitful to pass up…" Yuuto supported.

"Oh fine!" Botan said, grabbing a hold of Hiei's hand, giving him no choice but to follow after her.

They spotted the woman in question standing on the bar stool, with her hands on her hips as she scanned the crowd of strangers and coworkers that had amassed near the bar. Koto already seemed to be a few drinks in, her cheeks flushed and teal eyes slightly unfocused.

"I swear, that woman loves nothing more than all eyes on her and the sound of her own voice," Botan muttered to Hinageshi.

"Yup!" the redhead agreed.

They watched her make a spectacle out of herself, before her eyes landed on Botan.

"You!" she said, singling Botan out.

"Me?" Botan pointed to herself.

"Yeah, blue. You're my next victim."

"O-oh, I couldn't," she said, raising her hands up in defense.

"Scared of a little friendly competition?" the other woman taunted, raising a slender brow.

"Hardly! I just don't see the point in-"

"Sounds like nothing but excuses to me!" Koto taunted haughtily, looking down at Botan with a smirk.

The crowd was cheering Botan on, encouraging to take the bait. She looked between her coworkers and Koto's haughty expression and made her decision. If it was a competition she wanted, then that's what she would get. Botan moved to advance, but Hiei pulled her back, his grip tightening around her hand.

"Don't be foolish. You have nothing to prove," he told her.

"Koto's been a horrible menace all week!" Botan divulged. "Someone's got to put her in her place!"

"And how will you do that with your undoubtedly low tolerance?" Hiei pointed out.

She faltered momentarily, her gaze falling to the dark tiled floor.

"I don't know, but I'll figure it out!" she declared boldly as she met his eyes again. "My pride is on the line here, Hiei!"

Hiei held her gaze for a moment longer, before he released her.

"If you're really going to challenge her, then you have to do it right," he said.

"What?"

"Don't sip at the drinks daintily like you're so accustomed to doing," he instructed. "Tip your head back and swallow the shot in one go."

Botan nodded, standing up a little straighter as she committed his instructions to memory.

"Okay."

"If you make the mistake of stopping to consider its taste, you will end up gagging."

"Right."

"Don't think and don't hesitate, either. Just drink."

"Alright."

"And one more thing," he added, his red eyed gaze burning a little brightly as he regarded her. "If your pride is on the line, then you can't afford to lose. Make sure you win, ferry-girl."

Botan's heart swelled with warmth and she nodded at him. If Hiei bothered enough to give her tips, then maybe he thought she had a fighting chance. And if he believed in her, then maybe she really could do this! She took a deep breath and meandered through the mass of bodies that blocked her way to the bar. As she took up residence on the empty stool beside Koto, she forced herself to sit tall and proud, despite the ringing in her ears and the reverberations of her heart beating wildly against her chest.

"Alright, bartender, line 'em up!" Koto ordered loudly.

"Anything you two fancy in particular?" the ruggedly handsome blonde-haired man inquired.

"Surprise us," Koto answered, waving her hand dismissively before Botan could get a word in.

He pulled a dark bottle of liquor out from underneath he bar and began filling the little shot glasses dutifully. Botan watched the liquid rise in the first glass warily; its scent was toxic and nearly nauseating. She didn't usually indulge in drinking - save that one time Jorge had found a stash of sake hidden in the archives and they all got curious - but she didn't want to lose to Koto.

She could feel the eyes of everyone in the crowd boring into her and chipping away at her false bravado. She tapped her fingers against the bar nervously as she tried to gather what little wits she had left.

"Good luck, Botan!" Hinageshi cheered, patting her on the back.

"Thanks..." she replied, forcing a tight smile over her features.

Yuuto was smiling at her encouragingly and Tenshi was telling her to give it her all. She glanced over at Hiei, who simply stared back at her silently. He was always firm and unyielding under pressure and the quiet strength that exuded from his aura was almost contagious. He nodded at her pointedly, the gesture more effective than any words he could have spoken and she found her courage renewed as she faced the bar again.

"Having second thoughts?" Koto mocked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"No, but you will once this is over."

"Tch."

"First one to finish all six shots wins," Juri announced. "If either of you can't hack it, then the one who consumes the most wins."

"Fair enough," Botan replied.

"Sounds good to me," Koto returned.

"Alright, are you ladies ready?" Juri asked, looking down at both contenders. They nodded their assent and Juri smiled as she raised an arm. "Okay! Then let the drinking contest begin!"

Botan wasted no time throwing back her first drink. Though she tried to swallow it down perfunctorily, she couldn't help but wince in disgust as the liquid passed over her tongue. The taste was absolutely horrid and it burned down her throat uncomfortably.

"What the hell is this?" Koto exclaimed, her features twisted into a look of displeasure as she glared at the bartender.

"It's the good stuff," he replied with an impish grin.

Koto let out a sound of frustration, before lifting her second glass up determinedly. Botan followed suit, pinching her nose with her thumb and forefinger as she downed another drink. She could hear the shouts of everyone ringing in her ears as the potent liquid traveled down her throat and warmed her from the inside out. It was so disgusting, but its effect was almost immediate. She was already starting to feel a bit unlike herself, skin buzzing with excitement and mood bursting with a newfound joy. She felt as though she could fly without her oar or defeat a hundred Toguros. Perhaps this is what liquid courage did to you, she thought as she reached for another glass. With the cheers of her friends spurring her on, the colorful lights dancing in her eyes and the liquor coursing through her system, she was able to do exactly as Hiei told her to, making quick work of shot after shot with only the goal of victory in mind. As she closed her hand around her last drink, she noticed Koto lurch forward onto the bar.

Botan frowned in concern, but Hinageshi was grinning deviously.

"Are you giving up?" the redhead asked teasingly.

Koto didn't bother responding, instead choosing to let out a moan as she jumped out of her chair and skittered off towards the bathroom. Botan looked back at the bar, realizing that she and Koto both only had one drink left.

"If you finish this last one, then you win!" Hinageshi urged excitedly.

A stretch passed over her lips as she brought the glass to her lips. She tipped her head back and swallowed it one gulp, the crowd erupted into a series of cheers and hollers as she slapped the shot glass down on the bar.

"And there you have it folks! The winner of this drinking contest is: Botan!" Juri managed to announce over the sound of the music and their friends gathered around them.

Botan let out a victory cheer, nearly falling over in the process. As she hopped off of the stool and landed on two shaky feet, she couldn't help but wonder why the entire room felt off-kilter. Her knees buckled and she crashed into something warm and firm. Hiei was there, holding her up in that dependable way of his, giving her the stability she needed. She let herself fall into him, smiling brightly.

"I did it!" she cheered.

"You did," he acknowledged.

"I couldn't have done it without you, though."

Hiei shook his head.

"It was all you, woman."

A brief moment of silence passed over them until Botan tilted her head in confusion.

"…Why are there two of you all of a sudden?" she questioned, before letting out a gasp. "Do you have another twin that you were keeping a secret from all of us again?"

"No, you're just hammered," he informed.

"I am?"

"Thoroughly."

"Oopsie…"

Although Hiei sighed deeply, she couldn't find it within herself to be too concerned over her current state.

Hiei was with her after all; things always turned out all right when he was around.

* * *

Hiei had somehow managed to make it back to the apartment with the intoxicated ferry-girl in tow. All throughout their travels, she continued to utter strange, incomprehensible nonsense and she giggled and snorted at things that weren't funny at all. After locking the door behind him, he faced her again. She was staring at him through half-lidded eyes, her pupils dilated and lips slightly upturned in mischief. He had seen that look on many women before, but never on the ferry-girl.

"You're so sexy," Botan slurred.

Hiei's brain might as well have short-circuited but he managed to let out a strained: "What?"

"I've always thought you were."

"Woman-" he warned.

"Oh, but I've never had the courage to tell you that before…" she said, throwing a dainty hand over her mouth.

"Stop talking," he urged through gritted teeth.

"Yes, I suppose the time for talking has passed."

The look in her eyes changed and he found himself taking a retreating step. While he normally found it extremely difficult to understand the way the woman's brain worked, he was absolutely certain of what was on her mind right now and though the offer was tempting, this was a line that they couldn't cross. After a few more steps, his back hit the wall with a thump and he was suddenly laden with a handful of intoxicated ferry-girl.

"Mm, you really are like a human furnace," she said breathily.

He should have pushed her away, but she was even clumsier in this state and he didn't want to risk it. As his hands gripped at her waist, intent on keeping her as far away from him as he could, she swooped in for a kiss. Lips puckered, she sorely misjudged her trajectory and her mouth landed on his neck instead. He began to wonder if that was her intention all along because she started placing fluttering kisses wherever she could and her hands – which had been resting on his chest - suddenly started to slide lower and lower. He stifled a groan when she reached the waistband of his pants and he quickly grabbed both of her wrists in his hands.

"That's enough," he ordered firmly, giving her a hard look.

Botan's look of surprise quickly delved into one of amusement as she smiled lazily.

"Oh, Hiei, ever the gentleman," she teased.

He narrowed his eyes at her and Botan giggled in response.

"This isn't funny, woman," he growled.

"Loosen up, Hiei! Enjoy the moment!" she urged.

If this had happened under different circumstances, perhaps he would have taken her up on her offer. It had been far too long since he'd been with a woman, but she was no ordinary woman. Not to him. That's why he couldn't allow himself to do what he really wanted to.

"No," he declined again. "You need to stop this now, ferry-girl."

Perhaps the harshness in his tone or the unforgiving rigidity of his expression had gotten through to her, because she halted all of her advances and nodded her head. He released her hands and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

She shook her head in confusion.

"Thirsty?"

She shook her head again.

"Good. Then change into those silly pajamas of yours and go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," she protested, jutting her bottom lip out.

"I don't care."

"You're no fun, Hiei!" she whined.

"And you're too much fun, apparently," he muttered as he ushered her into the bedroom.

She took a seat at the edge of the bed, humming some upbeat tune to herself while he rummaged through her dresser drawers in search of something suitable for her to wear. Eventually he settled on a mismatching shirt and pants and pushed the articles of clothing into her hands.

"Put these on and then do whatever it is you love doing on that phone of yours until you fall asleep," he ordered.

She blinked down at the clothes and made a displeased face at his choice of sleepwear, but Hiei didn't much care about fashion. All he wanted to do was make it through the night without losing his sanity.

"Alright," she agreed compliantly.

He let out a quiet sigh of relief, tension draining from his shoulders as he moved to retrieve his pillow from his side of the bed.

"Where are you going?" she inquired curiously, head titled and eyes wide as she watched him walk towards the door.

"I'm taking the couch tonight," he replied.

"But why?"

Hiei paused, his hand on the doorknob as he glanced back at her.

"To prevent us both from doing something we will regret in the morning," he answered honestly.

As he stared up at the ceiling later that night, he was only sure of one thing: the ferry-girl would surely be the death of him.

* * *

The next morning Botan stumbled out of the bedroom with a massive headache. She rubbed at her temples as she looked down at her pink top and blue bottoms. She didn't recall coming home or going to bed and she certainly didn't remember changing into this mismatching outfit. All she could remember was brief flashes and recollections of the lounge. As she stepped into the living room, she found Hiei already up and awake. He was staring at her stoically, but there was a glint of something wicked in his crimson eyes.

"Tell me, woman," he began, crossing his arms over his chest. "For how long have you been lusting after me?"

Botan stiffened.

"I-I don't know what you mean…"

He smirked.

"You said many interesting things last night."

"I... erm... uh..."

"Hn, I wonder which is more embarrassing for you: the fact that you've always found me attractive or the fact that you're not really as prudish as you claim to be."

Her entire face flushed, blood rushing to her cheeks and coloring the tips of her ears. She remembered it now! She had gotten caught up in some silly drinking game with Koto and had consumed more than she could handle. The one time she had gotten drunk with the ogres and ferry-girls, she was told that she had gotten very touchy-feely, and as she wracked her brain for memories of last night, she realized that her friends over in the spirit world weren't just pulling her leg.

"Hiei... you have to know that I wasn't myself last night..." she tried to explain, as humiliation coursed through her entire being.

"It seems to me that you dropped the innocent ferry-girl act and finally let your true colors show."

"That's... I wasn't..." she shook her head.

He smirked evilly and she crossed her arms over her chest when she realized what he was doing.

"It isn't nice to tease!" she berated.

"Ironic that you would say that," he muttered under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

She thought of how desperate and pathetic she must have looked last night and let out a moan, before burying her face in her hands.

"Oh, I'm so embarrassed..."

"You should be."

"I made such a fool out of myself!" she whined into her palms.

"You did."

"We should have just stayed in like you wanted to," she continued miserably.

"Hn. Remember that next time you insist on dragging me out."

She pulled her hands away and peered over at him in contemplation. It was clear that while she had been out of her mind yesterday, Hiei was the poor soul who was burdened with the task of getting her home. It couldn't have been easy on him – especially with the way she had been acting – but she was glad that the night ended without much trouble.

"Thanks for all of your help yesterday," she sheepishly.

"What?"

"You managed to get us home unscathed," she continued.

"It was nothing."

"And you even slept on the couch like a gentleman."

"You gave me little to no choice."

"What do you mean?"

"You were all over me," he reminded her.

"Oh," she said quietly. If she could go back and erase the events of last night, she would. The downright embarrassing and wanton way she acted with Hiei wasn't worth the small victory she gained over Koto at all. She let out a small groan, throwing her hands over her face again.

"Relax, woman. I know that your actions were a direct result of your intoxication," Hiei stated.

"Huh?"

"I know that you didn't mean any of the things you did or said," he clarified. "If I had been the fox or anyone else, you would have behaved the same way."

She pressed her lips together, trying her best to remain unaffected by his words. The truth of the matter was that she had always found him attractive in a dark and mysterious way and the alcohol served as a catalyst in bringing the truth to the surface in the most humiliating and obnoxious manner. When she pulled her hands away from her face, she realized that Hiei was still staring back at her, waiting for her to confirm his claims.

Botan nodded hurriedly.

"Right," she lied. "Yes. That's absolutely true."

Hiei appeared to be satisfied with her answer, as though he had been expecting it all along, but Botan couldn't help but feel unsettled by it. He usually saw right through her lies, but this time, he seemed to accept her words as truth. Perhaps he really believed that there was no way that she could ever see him in that way; maybe he did not think as highly of himself as he let on. He was always discrediting himself when it came to his qualities that lie beyond the realms of fighting, and she wondered what it would take to get him to realize that he was so more than just a warrior. He was a devout ally, always there to save the day in a pinch. He was a great friend in his own, roundabout way. And he was pretty cute to boot.

"You know..." she began, wringing her hands nervously as the words spilled out unfiltered. "I really have always found you attractive."

Hiei's eyes widened a fraction before narrowing into a glare.

"Are you still drunk?" he asked, gaze skeptical and tone full of doubt.

"No, silly!" she replied with a warm smile. "I may have acted like a complete fool last night, but what I said about finding you handsome was the honest truth."

He seemed to be completely and utterly confused, his features frozen stiff as his mind reeled with the knowledge. Eventually, he found the words to respond.

"…Why would you tell me that?" he asked carefully.

"I don't know," she confessed honestly. "I just thought it was fair that you knew the truth."

She held his gaze for a few seconds longer, before looking away. In the silence that ensued, her cheeks heated up and the familiar feeling of embarrassment crept up on her.

"Well… I'm just going to… yeah…" she trailed off as she turned on her heels and made a beeline for the kitchen.

Pulling open the cupboard door, she stuck her head inside, suddenly interested in whatever foodstuff they had stocked away in the pantry. She could still feel Hiei's eyes on hers and she was seriously regretting her decision to tell him the truth. He was most likely going to hold it over her head and use it against her in some sort of way.

He approached her from behind and she tensed involuntarily, preparing for the scathing remark that was sure to come in 3, 2, 1…

"Your breakfast is on the counter," Hiei revealed.

Botan turned to face him, her eyes wide in surprise. Following his averted gaze, she spotted a breakfast sandwich sitting beside a bottle of pills.

"Hiei..." she breathed out, looking back at him in gratitude.

"Eat before it gets cold," he instructed lowly.

"Okay," she nodded.

She took a seat near the counter, ignoring the warmth that blossomed in her chest when Hiei joined her for no reason other than because he wanted to.

It was strange, but when they shared quiet moments together like this, the fear of never returning home ebbed away. Here, in this moment, she felt like she was home.

* * *

And there you have it! Another chapter down~

I hope you guys liked this one, because I sure had fun writing it. Thank you for your wonderful and kind reviews. You guys are the best! Please drop a note and let me know your thoughts on this one as well!


	14. Chapter 14

Fair warning: I'm really nervous about this chapter. It's a crucial one and I just hope that I did the characters justice.

* * *

Botan looked down at her mismatching clothes with a frown. She must have been extremely drunk when she chose this outfit for herself. The pink, long sleeved flannel shirt was meant for the winter, while the thin blue material of her shorts was clearly designed for warmer weather. She usually prided herself on her appearance, but right now, she looked like a clown.

"What's with that face, woman?"

Botan turned to see Hiei exiting the bedroom, hands in his pockets as crimson eyes fixed her with a mildly intrigued stare.

"Well, I was just wondering how out of my mind I must have been last night to put this combination on," she explained, motioning down to her clothing.

"Hn. You weren't even coherent enough to do that much," he revealed with a huff. "I chose those."

Botan's eyes widened almost comically, her brows rising so high that they became hidden beneath her curled bangs.

"You did?"

Hiei crossed his arms and nodded his head once.

"Is that so hard to believe?" he tested.

"N-no," she answered, shaking her head quickly. She suddenly felt awful for complaining in the first place; especially after all he had done for her lately. Forcing a grin on her face, she looked down at herself and considered the outfit once more. "In fact, the more that I look at it, the more that I realize that it isn't entirely horrible. It's simply... _unique_."

"Spare me the recanting," Hiei ordered. "You know that I don't care about style, especially not to the obsessive extent that you do."

"That is true…" she acknowledged with a relieved sigh.

"And more importantly, there wasn't much left in your drawers to begin with," he finished.

She had been meaning to tackle the laundry eventually, but between their busy schedules and responsibilities, it somehow slipped her mind.

"Do you want to try washing our clothes today? At the rate we're going, we'll soon run out of clean things to wear."

"Fine."

She was surprised at how agreeable he was being, but she decided not to question her luck.

"I'm not quite sure on the specifics of it all," Botan admitted. "We never really had a need for laundry back home since we're spirits."

"The help took care of it in Mukuro's fortress," Hiei supplied, gaze averted as he spoke.

"Well, I'm sure that between the two of us, we can figure something out," she reasoned hopefully. "Just let me throw on something more presentable, and then we can be on our way."

He nodded and she made her way back towards the bedroom. As she shuffled through the remaining clothes left in her closet, she was dismayed to find that there really was a lack of viable options left. In the end, she settled on an oversized navy blue hoodie that she was ninety-nine percent sure belonged to Hiei and a pair of comfortable jeans. She then turned to the large mass of dirty clothes overflowing from the laundry bin and decided to pull it out into the open space of the bedroom, where she could properly sort through and separate everything.

She was just about finished with her task when Hiei's voice sounded out from the other side of the door.

"It shouldn't take you that long to decide on an outfit," he admonished, a note of irritation in his voice. "Hurry up."

"You can come in now! I was only separating the clothes!" she called out in response from her cross-legged position on the floor.

Moments later, the door creaked as it opened to reveal an impatient looking fire-demon. All traces of irritation vanished when he spotted the bags on the floor, a single dark brow raised in silent confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I thought you said you separated everything?" he probed.

"I did," she maintained as she pointed to each bag. "That black bag contains your clothes and this white one has all of mine."

His brow furrowed.

"Woman, that's not right at all."

Botan looked tilted her head at him, not at all understanding what he was getting at.

"What do you mean?"

Hiei opened his mouth to respond, before pressing his lips together and shaking his head.

"Never mind," he grunted.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive," he replied, as he reached down in order to grab both of their belongings. "Let's get this over with."

"A-alright," she agreed, a bit baffled over his peculiar behavior, but deciding to disregard it for now.

She remembered to pick up the detergent before trailing after him and exiting the apartment. They made their way down to the laundry room in silence for the most part, with Botan pausing to address the people who were now becoming familiar to her. When they arrived to the dimly lit, poorly heated area, Botan was surprised to see Kaisei and Fubuki loading their clean clothes into a basket.

"Fancy meeting you two down here," she greeted.

"Hey guys!" Fubuki replied with a smile.

Kaisei closed the drying machine's door shut, barely regarding Hiei before focusing his attentions on Botan with a playful grin.

"How about I do your share for you, Botan?" he offered, as he leaned back on the machine and regarded her with mischief twinkling in his blue eyes.

"Well, isn't that awfully sweet of you?" she returned.

"Hardly," Hiei cut in, giving Kaisei a hard look. "The boy is being juvenile."

"He really has no shame," Fubuki muttered under her breath with a disappointed shake of her head.

Kaisei remained entirely unaffected though, continuing on without missing a beat.

"I'll even hand wash it for you and everything," he proposed with a grin. "So what do you say?"

Botan smiled.

"While the offer is tempting, I couldn't possibly ask you to do a thing like that," she declined. "I do appreciate the kind gesture, though."

"Anything for you, my lady," Kaisei jested, pushing himself off of the dryer to give her mock bow.

"Thanks dear."

He grinned as he rose from his bow, soaking up all the attention he could while Fubuki and Hiei exchanged a knowing look.

"If you're finished here, you can go," Hiei directed.

"Aw, I was just-" Kaisei protested, but was interrupted when Fubuki shoved their basket against his chest, causing him to grab a hold of it before it fell to the ground. "Hey!"

"Come on, weirdo," she urged, pushing her brother out of the door and down the corridor.

Botan could hear them bickering as they left and she shook her head lightly as she turned to face Hiei.

"What was all of that about?"

"He was being a pervert," Hiei informed flatly.

"He was only being helpful!"

"You really are naive."

She frowned, folding her arms underneath her chest. She didn't like the way he said it; as though there was something wrong with her.

"I don't see how."

"The boy only wanted the chance to see your underwear," Hiei clarified, glancing down at her bag of clothes pointedly.

Botan let out an affronted gasp.

"Kaisei isn't like that at all!" she defended.

"Hn, you'd be surprised by the depravity of males his age."

"Are you implying that you were the same way at that age, too?" she countered.

"No," Hiei denied firmly. "I pursued strength, not women."

Botan leaned in closer, her features closely resembling a feline.

"Oh, so you're saying all the girls chased after you, instead?"

Hiei held her gaze evenly, neither ruffled nor amused by her teasing.

"I'm saying that you should be more aware of your surroundings and less oblivious to what is happening right in front of you," he instructed. "You shouldn't take everything at face value."

Botan pouted, placing her hands on her hips.

"Well, excuse me for having a little faith in people's characters…"

"Hn."

"Putting all of that aside, we still could have asked them for help," Botan stated. "Neither of us knows what we're doing at all!"

"I don't need them."

"Yes, we do!"

"No, I don't," he insisted.

"Fine time for your pride to kick in, Hiei, but we're both completely and utterly clueless. We don't know the first thing about these machines or how they work and-" she trailed off as she watched him begin to load up his clothes within the machine. He seemed sure of himself, as if he had done this before, and Botan couldn't help but watch in amazement. "…Hiei? What are you doing?"

He paused in his ministrations to motion towards the clothes.

"What does it look like?"

"You mean you actually know how to use one of these?"

"I do."

"But you said you didn't do the laundry at Mukuro's," she pointed out.

"I don't."

"So, how do you know how to use it, then?"

He tore his gaze away, mouth pressed into a firm line as he went about loading more of his clothes inside of a second machine.

"Hiei?" she pressed, taking a step closer towards him.

"Blame Kurama's interfering mother," he muttered lowly, pressing some buttons and keeping his red eyes anywhere else but on her.

"Shiori?" she said, as the realization sunk in. Hiei probably spent an awful lot of time at Kurama's home during his probation in the human world. It only made sense that he did, but she would have expected him to slink in under the cover of darkness and stay out of the family's way. She never would have guessed that he was roped into doing all sorts of things for Kurama's mother. "Well, doesn't that paint a cute little picture. Did you help her with the laundry often, Hiei?"

"It was only once or twice, but it was pitifully simple and easy to remember," he replied gruffly.

"Good! Then you can teach me how," she said as she picked up her own bag and proceeded to move to the machine beside Hiei's.

Surprisingly, Hiei stopped her, holding his hand out as he regarded her.

"Give me your clothes."

Her fingers tightened around it instinctively as she hesitated.

"We can add your items to mine," he explained.

"…But then you'll see my unmentionables!"

Hiei gave her a flat look as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"We live in the same space, we occupy the same room and we sleep in the same bed. This should hardly be a point of contention," he pointed out.

"Yes, but this is just so… so intimate…" she replied quietly, feeling her skin heat up.

"If it bothers you so much, then it should help that I've already seen your underwear," he reminded her.

"You what?!" she exclaimed, ready to give him a piece of her mind before Hiei cut in.

"On the first day."

Her mind raced back to that moment instantly. She had entered the bedroom for the first time and was marveling over how beautiful everything was when she spotted Hiei with his hand on the handle of her top drawer and his eyes locked onto a pile of the underwear contained inside. He claimed he wasn't being a creep and she eventually believed him, but the memory still made her cheeks heat up in embarrassment.

"I suppose you have a point there…" she conceded.

"Of course I do. Now stop being a prude and give me your clothes," he ordered.

Botan frowned at him petulantly and he sighed.

"Do you want your clothes washed or not?" he asked impatiently.

She looked between her sack of clothes and the impatient fire-demon in deliberation. Hiei seemed to know what he was doing and she was completely and utterly clueless. She had no choice but to relent to his will, but that didn't mean that she had to be happy about it.

"Alright, fine!" she decided, passing her laundry bag off to the dark-haired man.

Hiei seemed to be moving on autopilot as he sorted through her clothing and threw them inside of the two separate washing machines that already housed his own clothes.

"Why did you put them in two different machines like that?" Botan asked, blinking curiously.

"They have to be washed separately, due to their color or material," he explained.

"Oh, so that's what you meant when you said I had done it wrong earlier!" she realized.

"Hn."

"Lucky for me, you're such a domesticated demon! Otherwise our clothes would have come out all wrong!" she cheered.

Hiei was less enthused, shoving his hands in his pockets as he tiled his head towards the machines.

"Less talking and more working, woman. You should learn how to do this, too."

"Yessir!" she saluted, moving towards the machines and awaiting his instructions.

"Determine the size of the load first," he coached. "These would both be considered extra large."

"Okay…" she said, pressing the buttons accordingly.

"Next choose the cycle. Gentle for the _'unmentionables'_ ," he instructed, pausing to cast a sarcastic look at her. "And normal for the other set…"

She continued to follow his directions, taking note of the correct amount of detergent to use and the necessary water temperature settings. It wasn't so complicated when Hiei explained it all so thoroughly and precisely and they successfully completed the washing without any mishaps or disasters occurring.

As they sat in the living room a few hours later, folding their clothes in silence, Botan paused to consider just how far Hiei had come. From the dastardly villain, to the begrudging and uncaring ally, to the reliable and surprisingly thoughtful man she was proud to call a friend. Her heart melted when she thought back to all of the kind things he had done for her without expecting anything in return, like seeing her home every night after work, or taking care of her after her drunken episode.

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard Hiei grumble out an old Makai expletive under his breath. He was having his fair share of trouble folding his clothes and she bit back a giggle as she watched him fumble with a simple t-shirt.

It took a little time, but she was starting to understand exactly what it was that the other Botan must have seen in Hiei.

* * *

The next day was a fairly quiet one, much to Hiei's satisfaction. No visitors, no pressing need to be anywhere and absolutely nothing urgent to do. The apartment was quiet and warm, sunlight streaming through the kitchen window as the scent of freshly brewed tea filled the area. The ferry-girl was in the middle of reading a romance novel that was downright pornographic – he'd seen what was typed out on those pages – while he sat beside her on the couch in deep concentration. He had brought the laptop outside to the living room and was searching through the second list of potential suspects that Mukuro had given him a few days earlier. He was admittedly getting better at searching for people on his own, but every once in a while he would consult with the ferry-girl when he came upon a human term or concept that he was unfamiliar with.

He was just about to ask her what a " _facebook_ " was when he noticed how intently her amethyst eyes were fixed on the black letters of the current page she was reading through.

"Enjoying your novel full of lewd sexual acts, woman?" he taunted.

Her face turned an impressive shade of red as she lowered her book to look at him.

"It's not like that, Hiei! I've told you before, I simply enjoy the romance!"

"It doesn't look that way to me," he countered.

"Well, I can't help it if your mind is always in the gutter," she replied.

"I'm not the one who fantasized about what Kurama does with his rose whip," he reminded her.

She pouted.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"Not in this lifetime."

"You're horrible," she stated, the words lacking any heat when she was trying and failing so hard to bite back a smile. "The absolute worst…"

"I know," he smirked as he turned back to the laptop and searched through the results.

The silence that enveloped them was familiar and comfortable and he found that he quite liked her company on days like this. It was an entirely strange thing to think, but he had been feeling and doing a lot of things that were contrary to his character lately and they were all because of the woman sitting snugly beside him.

She had been there for him, over and over again, despite how unfairly he had treated her at the start and she had done more for him than he was deserving of. There was a lot that he did not know when they first came here, but she never held his ineptitude over his head; she never made him feel weak or incompetent because of it. She helped him out of the genuine goodness of her soul, not because it was her duty, but because she wanted to. And that, in turn, made him want to extend the same sort of courtesy towards her when the situation called for it. He wasn't sure when the line of duty and obligation had disappeared between them, but the fact of the matter was that his actions were all of his own volition and choosing.

He wondered if this was what the other Hiei's relationship was like. An even give and take between two equals who had chosen each other - not because they were lacking something fundamental and needed completing, but just because they chose not to be without the other.

It was such an uncharacteristic thing for him to ponder, but luckily for him, the sound of Botan's cellphone ringing a chipper tune brought him back to reality. She leaned forward, crossing over him to grab her phone off of the far end of the table.

"Haru?" she muttered, brow crinkling in confusion as she stared down at the caller ID. "I wonder who that could be."

"Don't-" Hiei warned, but it was too late - she already brought the phone to her ear and answered the call.

"Hello?"

 _"Hey, B!"_ Haru's voice sounded clearly from the device.

"Hello there…"

 _"I've been trying to get a hold of Hiei all day, but he's clearly ignoring me. So, I thought I'd reach out to you instead."_

"Um, he's right here if you need to speak with him," Botan tried, glancing over at the fire-demon.

 _"Nah, that's alright. I'd rather talk to you anyway."_

Her lips curved upwards as she leaned back against the couch.

"Well, I'm all ears."

 _"It's so slow at the store today and I'm bored. I took the Sunday shift as a favor to my little sister but this is killing me. Why don't you guys come down? I'll throw in some sweet stuff free of charge!"_

Hiei shook his head.

"Uh, well, you see..." she began tentatively.

He took the liberty of seizing her phone from before she could finish speaking.

"I thought I made it clear when I ignored your messages," Hiei began. "I have no intentions of meeting you."

 _"Put Botan back on the phone,"_ Haru urged.

"No."

 _"But Hiei~"_

He hung up and handed the cellphone back to her wordlessly.

"Who was that?" she questioned.

"My idiot of a partner," he grumbled in response.

"Oh, he sounded fun!"

"He's a nuisance."

"Maybe we should visit him," she suggested.

"No."

"But we've been cooped up inside all day! A little sugary sweetness might be just the thing we need before another week of work."

"I refuse."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Fine, I suppose I'll simply have to go alone, then!"

"Do you even know where the shop is?" Hiei asked pointedly.

Botan wilted a bit.

"No, but I can always ask Haru for the address."

"He will find it strange that you suddenly forgot," he replied with a smirk.

"Well, do _you_ know where it is?"

Hiei averted his gaze, mouth drawn into a firm line.

"You do, don't you?" she pressed, poking his shoulder until he spoke.

"He dragged me there once, during our lunch shift," he admitted reluctantly as he swatted her hand away.

"Perfect!" Botan grinned, clapping her hands together. "Then you can lead the way!"

"Woman, I already said that I'm not going."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

"Pretty, pretty, please?"

"No."

"Pretty please with sugar on top?"

"…Do you intend to nag me all day until I finally agree?"

"Uh-huh," she said with a nod.

"Fine, but I'm not staying long."

"Oh, thank you, Hiei!" she gushed, reaching over to hug him tightly.

He remained still in her embrace – by now he had gotten used to the feeling of her soft curves pressed against him – and waited patiently until she released him. There was always a slight emptiness that came when the contact ended, but he had also gotten used to ignoring that, too.

"I'll be ready in a jiffy," she promised, before disappearing behind the bedroom door.

He could hear her humming excitedly to herself as she shuffled around in the bedroom and he frowned at the embarrassing way a little pestering from the woman had him folding like a man with no backbone. He had never been so weak and yielding in the past and he did not want to think of the possibility that this reality was actually making him soft somehow.

His eyes shifted towards the bedroom warily. Then again, he always had a sinking suspicion that those ferry-girls had more abilities to them than met the eye; perhaps Botan had some sort of bewitching abilities that made people bend to her will and it was of no fault of his own that he had done what she wanted time and time again.

Yes, he decided determinedly with a nod of his head, there was simply no other explanation for it.

* * *

Hiei led Botan to the cutest little brick storefront, located ten minutes away from their respective workplaces. While the raven-haired man looked as though he was steeling himself for what was to come, Botan could hardly contain her excitement. She wondered what sort of person his partner would be and she couldn't help but fawn over the exterior of the shop.

As they made their way through the entrance, a little bell overhead signaled their arrival and alerted the orange-haired man behind the counter to their presence. He turned around to greet them with a smile so wide that it was infectious. His green eyes were lit up in excitement, slightly obscured by locks of orange hair that fell softly from his head and he wore a white apron over a casual pair of black jeans and a forest green shirt.

"Hey guys!" Haru said, a bit of frosting on his cheek making him look all the more endearing in her eyes.

"Hi Haru," she returned as Hiei grunted at her side.

"Take a seat, I'm just finishing these cupcakes up."

"Alright!" Botan replied.

As they sat at a small little table in the corner, Botan took a moment to examine the place. The walls were painted a soft peach color with white borders and trimmings. All sorts of pastries and decadent desserts were out on display through the glass windows and there were artworks posted up around various stations. She turned to Hiei to comment on how quaint the place was, when she noticed how intently he was glaring at Haru's back.

"What's wrong?" Botan asked quietly.

"I still haven't figured out where he's from," Hiei disclosed. "Which leads me to believe that must be a fool from your world."

Botan blinked at the man. He was tall and lean, definitely fit and in shape due to the nature of his job. She wished she could say she knew who he was, but she honestly couldn't place him.

"I don't know him, Hiei, and I don't think I've seen him in the spirit world, either," she replied.

"Hn."

"Then again, all three worlds are filled with people we don't know and we may have overlooked him in our everyday lives."

"Trust me, though I wish I could, I wouldn't be able to forget a pest like him."

"That almost sounded sweet, you know."

"It wasn't supposed to."

"Well, I'm certain I've never seen him before," she maintained. "And you never know, he could be part of Mukuro's camp. Wouldn't that make much more sense considering he's your partner in this world?"

"Mukuro would never allow a fool like him into her ranks," he declared.

"If you say so..."

"Alright, all done!" Haru announced, turning back to face them.

He removed his apron, before bringing over a tray of assorted cupcakes to their table and setting it down gently. As he sat down beside her, she couldn't help but notice that he smelled like vanilla – comforting and warm.

"It looks delicious," she said.

"And it tastes even better," he guaranteed. "Go on, dig in!"

Botan was the first to react, reaching out for the cupcake with blue frosting and the letter B swirled into it. Haru's green eyes laid on her expectantly as she took the first bite and was immediately overtaken by the sweet and light flavor.

"This is heavenly!" she exclaimed.

"Right?" Haru grinned proudly.

"I'm impressed," Botan said. "You've really got quite the talent, Haru."

Haru grinned, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.

"It's the family business," he said sheepishly. "I guess that no matter what path I chose, it would still be a part of me."

"I think that's wonderful."

"You always say that, and that's why you're my favorite!"

Botan giggled.

"Hey, aren't you going to have some Hiei?" Haru asked, pushing a chocolate frosted treat over to the raven-haired man. "You know you wanna..."

"No," came Hiei's curt response.

"Well, you're no fun," Haru pouted.

"So I'm told," he drawled, closing his eyes disinterestedly.

"Is he always this crabby?" Haru muttered from behind his hand.

"I don't know, you tell me! You probably spend way more time with him at work," Botan teased. "I'm sure it can't be easy having Mr. Grumpy Pants as a partner."

"Could say the same to you."

"It's no walk in the park, I'll tell you that," she joked.

"More like a walk through a raging inferno," Haru continued. "But he isn't all that bad…"

"No, he certainly isn't," Botan agreed wholeheartedly.

"Don't you two have anything better to talk about?" Hiei grumbled, cracking an eye open.

"Nope," they said in unison.

Hiei resigned himself to his fate, settling into his chair and crossing his arms over his chest in a silent warning not to bother him. With the only link between herself and Haru clearly checked out of the conversation, she was left on her own. She wanted to know more about the baker-detective, but it would be strange to start asking him questions as if this was their very first meeting.

"So, how are things going at the station?" Botan asked, deciding to stick with a more casual route in the hopes that Haru would steer the conversation accordingly.

"It's always hectic, but I can't really complain," Haru said. "It is what I signed up for, after all."

Botan nodded.

"How about you? Life at Sakyo Corp. still as thrilling as always?" Haru inquired, leaning forward interestedly.

"Oh, yes, there's always something exciting going on there."

"Are Shizuru and Sakyo a thing yet?"

"I don't know!" she bemoaned. "It's so hard to tell with the two of them!"

"Damn..." Haru replied. "And is Koto still giving you a hard time?"

"I think it's her favorite pastime..." Botan responded. "But, to be fair, she's like that with everyone."

"Yeah, Risho's the same way. I wish he'd quit."

"We can only dream," Botan supposed.

"You got that right."

"But annoying coworkers aside, it's a pretty nice place to work," she acknowledged. "There's always something fun going on, at least."

"Hm, maybe I should switch careers and join in on all the fun," he considered, rubbing his chin in mock consideration.

"As tempting as that sounds, I have a feeling Hiei might miss you."

"Awww, is that true?" Haru asked, turning to face Hiei. "Would you miss me, buddy?"

"Not at all," Hiei replied flatly without hesitation.

"I'm sure you would, deep down!" Haru continued.

"I said I wouldn't-"

Haru slung an arm around his shoulder.

"Never fear, Haru is here to stay!" he declared loudly.

Hiei's expression darkened, remaining that way even after Haru pulled away and Botan couldn't help but smile at the scene. The fire-demon she knew would have forcefully removed Haru and issued a death threat or two, but he must have had a soft spot for the other man since he remained silent.

"Oh, yeah, are you guys coming to the big gala, right?" Haru questioned.

"..."

"You know, we've got that stuffy award ceremony in two weeks!" he reminded her. "There's always some kind of drama going on behind the scenes."

"Oh... of course we are!" Botan decided.

Hiei glared at her but she pointedly ignored it.

"It should be nice," Haru assumed. "I'm thinking of bringing Ruka."

"Ruka?" Botan echoed, tapping a finger at her chin. "Now, why does that name sound so familiar?"

"You remember her, don't you? Smoking hot redhead... bit of a haughty attitude but actually pretty nice when you get to know her..."

"…"

"Dresses in all those ... er... fitted clothes?!" Haru tried.

"Oh!" Botan exclaimed. "I do remember her!"

Haru grinned.

"I knew you would!"

"Are you sure she's the one you want to bring?" Botan questioned warily.

Haru pouted.

"Don't tell me you think I've got no chance with her, either? Everyone says she's way out of my league and that she's too good for me."

"No, it's more like the other way around," Botan muttered, still bitter over their less than pleasant exchange during the Dark Tournament.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing!" she replied, forcing a smile for Haru's benefit. "If she makes you happy, then you should go for it!"

The way he lit up was all the confirmation Botan needed.

"I will!"

"Good for you. Be sure to let me know how it goes."

"Always," he replied with a charming wink.

They spent the rest of the evening chatting about anything and everything in between Haru manning the shop and assisting customers. Hiei had even eaten a cupcake, though he did it so stealthily that she hadn't noticed it until Haru pointed it out teasingly. By the time they realized how late it had gotten, the moon was shining brightly in the sky and the traffic outside had decreased drastically.

"Shit... I didn't realize the time," Haru groaned. "I've gotta close shop soon, and I've still got a ton of dishes to wash in the back."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing you've got me to help you out, then," Botan offered good-naturedly.

"Nah, I couldn't make you do that," Haru declined.

"Really, it's no trouble at all. I'll wash and you dry. What do you say?" she asked as she took a stand.

"Well… if you insist..." he relented with a smile. "I've never been one to turn down an offer from a pretty lady."

She smiled and then turned back to view Hiei.

"Do you mind waiting a little longer?" she asked.

He shook his head wordlessly, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair once more.

"Right this way," Haru said as he led her to the large kitchen in the back of the shop.

The fridge, ovens and overhead compartments were all stainless steel, shining brightly under the industrial lights hanging above. The counters were a bit messy, ingredients and tools scattered all over the place and she had a feeling that was Haru's fault, with the way he rushed to clean it up. She turned to the double sink, where most of the dishes and utensils were already soaking in soapy water. Her job wouldn't be all that hard since Haru had already prepped everything. Rolling up her sleeves up, she turned the water on and got right to work.

Once he had cleared up the mess he made, Haru joined her at the sink and they found an easy and comfortable rhythm as they worked in tandem. They were nearly finished with their task when Haru spoke up.

"Say, Botan?"

"Hm?"

"How did you know that Hiei was the one?"

She faltered at the unexpectedly intrusive question, unsure of how to answer him considering she and Hiei weren't really a couple.

"I get that Ruka and I are really different, but it worked for you and Hiei," he pointed out. "So I was kinda wondering what made you give him a chance in the first place?"

The jovial and light-hearted man seemed so conflicted and Botan truly wanted to help him, she just wasn't sure how she could be of any use. She was the last person to go to for romantic advice, considering she had never been in a relationship before or fallen in love with anyone. Nevertheless, she tried to answer his question as honestly as she could.

"Well... Hiei and I didn't always get along; in fact, we got off to a really rough start. We're both so different and we often clash because of those immense differences..."

"But?" Haru probed.

"But I've always known that he was a good person and that he had a good heart. And I suppose when I saw all those new sides to him, when he actually opened up to me, it was impossible for me not to like him."

"I see…"

"He seems so gruff and stoic on the outside, but he's fiercely loyal to those he chooses to let in. Even though he's quiet, he speaks up when it matters and he's there when you need him the most. He's got a wicked sense of humor and a sharp tongue, but then he'll turn around and do something unexpectedly sweet that you're left reeling. You never know what to expect with that man and I suppose that's what makes him so great," she said with a soft smile. "I like his determination and his strength and his courage. I like that he never wavers and that he always pushes forward. I like that complex honor code of his, even if I'll never understand it. And I like all his quirks and oddities that are so contrary to his character."

She realized that she was rambling now, so she looked over at Haru sheepishly.

"Um, so, what I'm trying to say is, even if nobody else understands, even if you yourself don't understand it, so long as the attraction and affection is there, you should at least give it a chance with Ruka. At least that way you won't have any regrets!"

"I think I get it…" Haru agreed with a contemplative nod. "Thanks B."

"Anytime!"

"Oh, by the way," Haru tacked on as an afterthought. "It's pretty cute to see you gushing over Hiei like you've fallen in love with him all over again."

She blinked.

"Huh?"

"You sound like a woman in the early stages of love, as opposed to having been in a relationship for nearly three years," Haru teased. "How cute."

The heat of embarrassment was steadily creeping upon her, coloring her cheeks and sending her mind reeling. She most definitely was not in the early stages of love or anything of the sort. She and Hiei were simply friends. They had been getting closer lately, but that was just natural – wasn't it?

Botan bit her lip worriedly as she turned away from Haru to wipe her hands dry. Her heart was pounding in her chest and echoing in her ears at the thought of Haru's words being true. It was just too insane, too illogical and too ridiculous. She shook her head, hoping to dislodge his teasing words from her mind. Haru was clearly mistaken. She must have simply been doing such a stellar job pretending to be in love with Hiei that he was completely and totally convinced.

Yes, that was it.

She nodded to herself and hardened her resolve as she followed Haru back into the main area. When her gaze met Hiei's, she willfully ignored the way her heart flooded with warm affection.

* * *

The following day was spent in a routine that was becoming familiar and regular to Hiei: he woke up minutes before the ferry-girl and untangled himself from her, showered, threw on a freshly cleaned suit and then took the familiar trek to work with the woman at his side. They parted ways, like always, and then he was saddled with Haru for the next few hours.

They were currently researching a suspect for their newest case – an inept home intruder – and any minute now the ferry-girl would be sending him a message of no real substance, complete with one of those annoying faces attached to it.

But five minutes passed and she never did.

He tapped his fingers against the table impatiently, glaring down at his phone as though he could will it to produce a message.

"Expecting a text?" Haru asked from across the table.

Hiei shook his head and pocketed his phone in the hopes of eliminating the pesky distraction that ate away at his thoughts. It was ridiculous for him to be so concerned with something as trivial as a text message from the woman, so he focused on the files on his desk instead, compiling whatever information he could about their prime suspect.

He was doing a fine job, until he finally received word from Botan.

Pulling his phone out from his pocket and unlocking it, he frowned down at the uncharacteristically short message, which was devoid of any pictures or silly little faces.

' _I came home early – wasn't feeling well.'_

There were no further details, which Hiei found odd, considering her habit of over sharing and providing more information than necessary.

"Something wrong?" Haru asked in concern, twirling his pen between his fingers as he frowned at Hiei.

"No," Hiei denied curtly, still frowning down at the message.

"You sure? 'Cause you have that constipated look on your face that says otherwise."

Hiei glared at the other man icily and Haru raised his hands in defense.

"Okay, okay… backing off now!"

Haru began scribbling through his report furiously while Hiei eyed the papers on his desk. Perhaps he could try his hand at completing a report for a change. It would certainly provide a much needed distraction. He made it as far as pressing the pen to the paper when blue hair and amethyst eyes flashed through his mind and he found himself wondering what could be wrong with the ferry-girl. She was perfectly fine this morning and showed no signs of becoming sick, but she was the type to downplay her own troubles. A nagging feeling rose from within his gut and settled uncomfortably in his chest. Perhaps it would be unwise to leave her alone. Perhaps the ferry-girl needed him. He glanced down at his phone, replaying that blasted message in his head, before finally taking a stand.

"Where's the fire?" Haru asked, upon noticing Hiei gathering up his things.

"Botan's not well," he replied. "I'm going home."

"Oh man, sorry to hear that…" Haru lamented, and Hiei could see that it was genuine. "Text me if you need anything, okay? I'll hold down the fort here."

Hiei nodded, before grabbing his jacket and exiting the station. He wasn't sure why or how he had become so protective of the ferry-girl, but he could worry about that after he had determined what was wrong with her. The trip back to their building was a quick and easy one, and all was quiet and still within the apartment.

He found Botan in the bedroom, wrapped up underneath the covers. He thought she might be sleeping, until his ears picked up on the sound of a pained whimper. He steeled himself as he stepped further into the room. He wasn't sure what to do or what to say and he hesitated. Botan must have sensed his presence, because her eyes fluttered open and locked onto his own.

"H-Hiei, what are you doing here?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine, but you clearly aren't," he said. "Your message was vague, even by my standards."

"It's nothing," she dismissed, her voice filled with uncertainty as she pulled the covers over her head in an attempt to hide herself from him.

Hiei quirked a brow at her peculiar reaction and took a step closer towards the bed. He could see that she was curled up into a ball; a far cry from her typically loose and relaxed sleeping position. She was in some sort of distress and he couldn't understand why she insisted on pretending otherwise.

After a few moments of silence, he decided to act.

"Hn, if you've hurt yourself and are too embarrassed to admit the extent of your clumsiness, then you needn't be worried. I already knew that you were a klutz from the start," he remarked.

He expected her to explode in anger, deny his claim and then tell him the truth, but all she did was peek out of the covers enough for him to see her shaking her head.

"No, it's nothing like that..."

"Then what is it?" he pressed.

"..."

"Tell me."

"It's..."

"Woman," he warned, slowly losing his patience.

"It's girl stuff, okay?!" she exclaimed finally.

Eyes widening slightly, he held her gaze as best as he could without showing his hesitation. He knew nothing about … _that_ … and he was not sure what the correct protocol was when dealing with women during this time. He wanted nothing more than to turn around and ignore her sudden plight, but when she winced in pain and returned to the fetal position again, he realized that that was not an option.

"Woman," he began.

"It's okay, Hiei… just… please leave me alone."

"Tell me what you need," he stated firmly.

"What I need?" she echoed unsurely.

"I'll get it for you," he replied evenly.

She paused, brows crinkling as she considered his offer. Eventually, amethyst eyes rolled up to meet his once more.

"Well, I hear there is pain medication specifically for this sort of thing… if you could pick some up at the convenience store, that would be great," she requested.

"Understood."

"Oh, and some chocolate would be nice too!" she added as an afterthought.

"What purpose would that serve?"

"None, but some comfort treats might be nice."

"Fine," he agreed. "Is that all?"

"Huh?"

"You don't require anything more practical?" he asked. Surely there were other _items_ she needed; things that only women had to worry about during this time.

An awkward silence passed between them until Botan finally understood what he was getting at. She shook her head quickly, her face flushed as she spoke.

"I'm all set. The other Botan had it all covered," she explained.

He nodded, closing the bedroom door behind him before making his way back out of the apartment and down to the Sanada storefront. Fubuki was standing behind the counter dressed in her burgundy apron while scrolling through her phone listlessly. She perked up when she saw him and Hiei afforded her with a slight nod of acknowledgement as he headed towards the drug aisle. He searched through the shelves, perusing through the various medications and settling on three separate brands. He then procured a random array of chocolates. He wasn't sure what Botan liked, but something amongst the many colorfully packaged items he had chosen was sure to suit her tastes. As he approached the counter, Fubuki looked over the items and gave him a sympathetic look.

"That time of the month again, huh?" she observed woefully.

"…"

"Are the cramps really bad this time?"

"What?" Hiei stiffened as she continued.

"Guys would never understand, but let me tell you, they can be a real killer…" she said. "At least you're so nice and understanding about it. Kaisei always tells me to suck it up."

Hiei was more than surprised to hear the words coming out of her mouth, but he supposed it made sense. This reality's Hiei seemed well adjusted to everything in his life. He had to be, if he managed to put up with all of the interfering humans that had forced their way into his life. Still, Hiei had no intentions of sitting around while Fubuki spoke all about the female body and all its functions. She continued to prattle on and on as if this was commonplace, and he was beginning to lose what little patience he had left.

He pulled out a few banknotes out from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

"I don't need the change," he told her, as he picked up his belongings.

"Hey!" she protested. "This is way too much!"

But was already halfway out the door, gripping the plastic bag tightly as he strode away from the store. He wasn't retreating or fleeing; he was simply making a strategic exit. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take listening to the girl ramble on about things he had no business knowing in the first place.

He took a deep breath when he returned to the apartment, the familiar sights and scents soothing his agitated state considerably. He was unsurprised to see that Botan had fallen asleep in the time he had gone out and come back. He deposited the convenience store items on her nightstand with the intentions of leaving her be, but something spurred inside of him that made him stay. An uncharacteristic whim or an obligation born from his honor-code, pushed him forward and made him take a seat at the edge of the bed in silent contemplation. The ferry-girl's features were pinched in pain and he reached a hand out to brush her bangs out of her eyes without thinking. Her expression smoothened out peacefully, the traces of discomfort slowly vanishing from her features. Perhaps when she awoke again, the pain would be gone.

That would be best.

Somewhere between his musings, his fingers had come to brush against her cheek, the feeling of her smooth skin against his fingertips jolting him from the moment. He recoiled his hand with a frown, eyes bouncing back and forth between the sleeping ferry-girl and his hand that had moved out of its own volition.

What the hell was he doing…?

"Hiei?" Botan mumbled as she stirred from her sleep.

He tempered his expression, staring down at her evenly.

"I didn't know what you wanted," he said, depositing the plastic bag between them.

She sat up, her back resting against the pillow she had propped up against the bedhead and Hiei turned the lamp on as she rifled through the items curiously.

"Wow, Hiei, you bought an awful lot."

"Like I said, I didn't know which ones you preferred."

"Luckily for me, I like them all," she replied, her eyes softening as she smiled at him. "Thank you."

He nodded in response, though she did not need to display her gratitude so openly or sincerely in the first place. He had only done what was needed. The mattress shifted beneath him as she turned to view the time displayed on the alarm clock.

"Oh no," she groaned. "Is that the time already?"

He frowned.

"What is it?"

"I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet up with Shizuru and the others tonight."

"Cancel it."

"But I…"

"You're in no condition to go anywhere," he pointed out.

"I guess not," she agreed, lips pursed together discontentedly. "I hope they won't be too disappointed."

"They will survive," he replied flatly.

"Gee, thanks, Hiei," she muttered, leaning back into a more comfortable position. "You always know how to make a girl feel special."

"I try," he retorted, catching the way the corners of her lips curled upwards in amusement as she shook her head at him.

"You're the worst."

"I know," he smirked back.

She rolled her eyes at him fondly, before reaching into the bag of sweets and pulling out a chocolate bar.

"Do you want some? I know that this is secretly your favorite."

"It was intended for you."

"But it tastes better when you share!" she said as she unwrapped it and waved it front of him teasingly.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Come on, Hiei!" she insisted, sending him a pleading look. "Indulge in your sweet tooth a little!"

He sent her a withering look, knowing that she wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted. The ferry-girl was relentless in that way.

"You're such a nuisance, woman," he grumbled, reaching out to break off a small piece for himself. "Satisfied?"

"Yup!"

She was smiling at him in that way that made him nervous, with a mixture of warm affection shining brightly in her eyes and joy stretched out on her pink lips. It was more than he deserved and yet, he selfishly wanted to contain all of it for himself.

He didn't know why a simple smile made his chest feel light or why it managed to loosen the coils of tension within him, like the effects of her white magic on a fresh wound.

He didn't know why it chipped apart at his guard and lowered his defenses so easily.

And he didn't know why he found satisfaction in the knowledge that she only looked at him this way, but as long as she kept smiling like that, he found that he didn't really care.

* * *

Finally, our favorite pair is starting to catch feelings. Whether or not they understand them or admit to them is another story entirely.

Next time, we'll have some good old fun with the entire gang. Hope you're looking forward to it!

Last, but not least: thank you, as always, for your continued support and your awesome reviews. Tina Turner sang it best: you guys are _simply the best, better than all the rest!_


	15. Chapter 15

Hiei had just finished interrogating their latest suspect: an amateur home invader who had carelessly left many clues that traced back to him. They weren't five minutes into the examination when the fool cracked under the weight of Hiei's unforgiving glare and harsh words, even going as far as providing them with the names of his accomplices. It was pitifully easy – even without the jagan – and it was soon becoming his favorite aspect of the job.

"Nice job, as always, buddy!" Haru praised, his voice amplified by the narrow hall leading out of the examination area. He clapped a hand on Hiei's shoulder as he continued. "I always forget how intimidating you are until I see you in that room."

"You should learn to do the same," Hiei replied lowly. "Your interrogation skills are pitiful at best and laughable at worst."

"Aw, but that's why we're such great partners!" Haru explained. "You do your part and I do mine!"

Hiei said nothing as they returned to the main area. It was bright, loud and boisterous – a far cry form the dimly lit and darkly painted walls of the interrogation room – but he had adjusted quickly and had long since gotten used to the mass hysteria that accompanied this side of the station.

"I'll get started on the paperwork and transfer," Haru offered.

Hiei nodded, returning to his seat and loosening his tie a little. He pulled his phone out and was unsurprised to see two texts from the ferry-girl. The first was mostly of a string of excited faces – or _emojis_ , as he had soon learned they were called – and her second message explained how she had done exceptionally well on a report and had received praise from several high-level executives. His expression softened ever so slightly from its stoic look. He found a strange sense of solace in the knowledge that she was excelling at her job.

"Ready for this weekend?" Yusuke's voice interrupted his musings.

He looked up to see the detective playing with a pair of handcuffs mindlessly.

"What are you talking about?" Hiei asked, returning his phone to his pocket.

"We're all going up to Kurama's family cabin, remember?"

"..."

"Don't tell me you forgot?"

"I didn't forget," Hiei denied, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "It simply isn't worth remembering when I have no intentions of going in the first place."

"You're going short stack. We all agreed in advance and you already took Friday off," Yusuke reminded him. "Besides, you wouldn't want to disappoint your dear sister by not following through, would you?"

Hiei's proud stance faltered momentarily as he mentally cursed his luck. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the weekend with everyone, cramped in some impractical cabin and participating in foolish human activities, but he could not break his word to Yukina.

"So it's settled. You're going," Yusuke decided.

"Not by choice," he grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, but the result is still the same," Yusuke concluded, waving a hand in the air carelessly.

"Hn."

"Maybe I should send a reminder to our group chat in case everyone else is as airheaded as you," he considered, pulling out his cell and scrolling through his messages.

Predictably, Hiei's phone began vibrating in his pocket as the group chat came to life. He didn't bother reading any of the messages, but he already knew that the ferry-girl was probably excited over this unexpected excursion. There was no question about it, she was definitely going and he would somehow be roped into joining her. He grimaced at the thought. Living with Botan had become normal, but spending an entire weekend with the spirit detective team and the other two women was something that he was not looking forward to. A thought occurred to him and he glanced over Haru, who was absorbed in his report with a concentrated frown.

"Don't tell me, you're coming along, too," Hiei stated flatly.

"Huh?" the man asked, looking up from his work.

"To the cabin this weekend," he clarified.

"Nah, you guys always leave me out of everything!" Haru replied, resting his hand against his cheek as he frowned dramatically. "It's like I don't even exist..."

"That's funny, if I remember correctly, you were gushing about your weekend plans with a smoking hot redhead," Yusuke responded pointedly.

Haru grinned, mischief in his green eyes.

"That I am."

"Dude, you gotta give me the details," Yusuke prompted.

"I don't kiss and tell," Haru replied.

Hiei tuned the two out as he turned to the new list of suspects Mukuro had provided him with. There was nothing he could do about the upcoming trip, so he decided to focus on more important matters for now.

* * *

Botan was in the bedroom, clothes laid out everywhere when she heard Hiei finally return from his late night at the station. She had cooked his favorite – _sukiyaki_ – for dinner and made sure it was warm and waiting for him when he arrived. There was no doubt in her mind that he was dreading their weekend excursion, and she wanted to at least make the evening a bit more pleasant for him.

She smiled as he entered the bedroom, taking in the sight of the ruffled man. His tie was loosened, dress shirt untucked and hands in his pockets as he regarded her with a wordless glance.

"Good evening Hiei."

He grunted in response, dropping down on the bed. Normally, she would have scolded him for lying down on their clean sheets with the clothing he had commuted in, but she decided to cut him some slack. Besides, she sort of liked the way he lost his guard the moment he stepped through the apartment door. It made her feel special to see the sides of him that no one else did. She moved some of her clothes away so that he could have more room, before shuffling closer to him.

"I made your favorite," she sing-songed.

"I saw," he noted.

"I got a bottle of your favorite whisky, too!"

"I noticed."

"And-"

"You don't have to butter me up, woman," he interrupted, sitting up and fixing her with resignation in his crimson eyes. "I already made peace with the fact that I'll be putting up with more than I can stand this weekend."

"You have?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Hn."

She couldn't help the smile that stretched out on her lips.

"I'm certain it won't be as terrible as you think!" she tried. "A weekend out in the quiet woods will surely be relaxing and peaceful."

"I highly doubt that, considering who we will be sharing a residence with."

"At least you'll have Kurama there!" she reasoned. "Oh, and Yukina, too!"

She noticed his expression shift at the mention of Yukina and her gaze softened.

"How has that been, by the way?" she asked carefully, playing with the fibers of the sweater she had rested in her lap.

"How has what been?"

"Being in such close contact with Yukina…"

Hiei paused to consider her question and Botan waited patiently for his response. She was well aware that the two had spent more time together in these past few weeks than Hiei ever did with Yukina in his entire time of knowing her back in their reality. It had to have been a bit difficult on him, especially after all these years of keeping away and building barriers between them.

"It's different," he revealed.

"I'm sure it is..." Botan agreed.

"She's not what I expected."

She lifted a questioning brow.

"And is that a good or bad thing?"

"It just is."

Botan nodded knowingly. She wouldn't press the issue if he was not ready to talk about it, but she was more than happy to see that Hiei had opened up to the idea of interacting regularly with his sister. Maybe once they returned to their own reality, he might even start seeking Yukina out more often and bridge the gap between their relationship. It was a large hope to carry, but she believed in the fire-demon fully. She smiled at him, before setting aside the folded sweater and looking towards the rest of the clothes she had lain out all over the bed.

"In any case, I thought it best if we got a head start on our packing," she announced.

He scoffed, red eyes passing over the articles of clothing that surrounded him.

"You should do the same, Hiei," she instructed. "It's already Wednesday. The weekend will be here before you know it."

"The last thing I want to do is prepare for a weekend with those fools," he grumbled.

"Why don't you let me pack for you, then?" she offered, clapping her hands together. "You've got so many nice things, but you hardly wear them."

"I fail to see your point."

"This way the clothes that never see the light of day will have an actual chance of getting out of your closet," she explained. "It isn't nice to neglect them, Hiei."

"Clothes don't have feelings, woman."

"Well, I do, and I say you should let me pack for you," she suggested.

His features tightened as though he was about to object, but then his face slid back into his standard look of stoicism. He must have realized that there was no point in arguing when he did not actually care to pack for himself in the first place, and that worked out well for her.

"Fine," he allowed.

She let out a victorious cheer as she thought of all the wonderful things she could pack for him.

"But no bright colors," he warned seriously. "And no pink."

Botan deflated a bit.

"Manly men wear pink, Hiei," she opposed.

"I don't."

"Alright," she agreed. She could work with that. "Also, if there's anything in particular that you want to bring along, let me know beforehand."

"It's only one weekend, ferry-girl. I think I'll survive."

"It never hurts to be prepared!" she countered. "Maybe you'll want your lucky underwear or something!"

"That won't be a problem."

"Oh?"

"I don't normally wear underwear."

Her mouth fell open in surprise.

"You don't?"

"That is what I just said."

"You pervert!"

"There's nothing perverted about it. It's more comfortable that way."

"Really?"

"Really."

"But don't you get embarrassed?"

"Why should I?"

"I don't know..." She was silent for a few moments, before shaking her head. No good would ever come out of spending any more thought on Hiei and his underwear preferences, so she dispelled her curiosities immediately. "In any case, I'll pack some in the off-chance that you find it within yourself to dress decently."

"Suit yourself," he returned as he laid down again and closed his eyes.

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment too long, before she eventually looked away. It would be a good weekend for all of them, but she had a feeling it would be especially so for Hiei. Aside from Yukina, Botan was certain that the team was the closet thing he had to a family. Even if they were estranged from their true reality, at least they had their friends - _their family_ \- with them in some form or fashion.

* * *

True to the ferry-girl's words, Friday arrived in the blink of an eye. They stood in the parking garage, just about read to head out east. Hiei still thought it pointless, but of course, it was something already decided upon before he and Botan had been sent to this world. She refused to take the train with the ridiculous amount of bags she had packed, not when they had a perfectly functioning car, so they were in the midst of loading everything into the black sedan. He closed the trunk, only to find Botan staring back at him, her arm extended towards him with her palm open and facing upwards.

"Will you please pass me the keys, Hiei?" she asked sweetly.

Hiei snorted, shooting her a look that suggested otherwise as his fist clenched around the key.

"I read up on how to drive and the mechanics," she reassured him. "It'll be a piece of cake."

"I don't trust you behind that two pound stick you fly on, much less behind the wheel of a two-thousand pound faulty human contraption."

She bristled, a frown etched onto her features.

"That's not fair! I'm sure I have much more driving experience than you do!"

"One of my duties is border patrol. We use a vehicle much more complicated than this one."

"Yes, but knowing you, you probably just stand there and bark orders at your poor subordinates," she accused. "You haven't actually driven it, have you?"

She had a point there, but he refused to concede.

"...I've seen how it's done," he supplied obstinately.

"Seeing how it's done and actually doing it are two very different things, Hiei!"

"I don't care. Either I drive us there or we don't go at all."

"Wrong! Either you hand me the keys right now, or I'll take the train there!"

"With what hands, woman? You packed more bags than you can carry."

Amethyst eyes flickered over to the trunk, which she knew to be filled to the brim with her bags, and her proud expression fell slightly. There was no way she could manage to tow all of those items with her and she must have realized the same, because her shoulders fell in defeat and her mouth drew into a firm line.

"Ugh, fine! Be stubborn!" she relented, stomping over to the passenger's side. "But don't ask for my help when you find yourself lost and confused."

He smirked as he followed suit, taking his position at the driver's seat. He stared at the steering wheel, panels and buttons silently, his face betraying none of his confusion. Haru had driven them around a few times before, but Hiei never thought to pay attention to the mechanics of it all.

"Having a little trouble, Hiei?" Botan asked smugly.

"No."

"You look a little lost and confused to me."

"I'm not."

"Then why aren't you starting the car?"

"..."

"You can't just will it to start, Hiei, you have to insert the key in the ignition and turn."

He looked down at the keys in his hand.

"The ignition is to the right of the steering wheel…" she added helpfully.

"I knew that," he griped, shoving the key in and turning it. When the engine revved to life, he released his hold on the key and looked around himself once more.

"You haven't the slightest clue of what you're doing! This exactly why I said I should drive!" Botan maintained.

"Just shut up and let me drive in peace."

"Fine!"

He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat. The car was on, but it was not moving. There had to be some sort of way to kick it into high gear. He pressed his foot down on one of the pedals, but nothing happened. He tried the other pedal, but it was to no avail. The ferry-girl was pretending to be oblivious to his plight, whistling some annoying tune as she inspected her nails without a care in the world. It was obvious that he couldn't do this without her knowledge, so he swallowed his pride long enough to mutter an order.

"Tell me what to do next."

Botan's brows shot up in surprise, before she turned to him with a devious grin.

"What was that? I don't believe I heard you?"

"Tell me what to do," he gritted a bit louder.

"Huh, would you mind repeating that again?"

"Just get on with it!" he snapped.

Botan was unperturbed; her expression was laced with satisfaction as she folded her arms over chest.

"Well I'm not going to tell you anything until you put your seatbelt on. Safety first!"

Hiei stared at her blankly and she motioned for him to do so. Similar to Haru, it seemed as though she was a stickler for the rules.

"Come now!" she urged.

He rolled his eyes, before pulling on the belt strap over his body and buckling it in roughly.

"Now, adjust the mirrors so that you have a good view of the back and the sides of the car."

Hiei begrudgingly did as he was told as she continued with her instructions.

"The right pedal is the gas – it makes you move – and the left pedal is the brake," she instructed. "Put your foot on the brake while pulling the lever into drive. Slowly release your foot from the brakes and then apply some pressure to the right pedal to make the car move."

Hiei hit the gas pedal and the car lurched forward.

"Not so fast!" she screeched.

He smirked devilishly as he increased the pressure of his foot on the pedal and the car's speed accelerated.

"Slow down!" she ordered as they exited the parking garage and raced down the main street. "You have to follow the speed limit, Hiei!"

"Relax, woman," he urged, enjoying the power and the speed held at his fingertips. "I told you that this was pitifully simple."

He went faster to prove his point, the tires screeching against the asphalt as he switched lanes dangerously in an effort to overtake the slower cars surrounding him. Botan turned ghostly white as her eyes widened.

"R-red light!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"You have to stop at the white line when the light turns red!" she shouted.

Hiei finally noticed the traffic light, which had just morphed from yellow to red. He briefly considering running the light, but when he saw the opposing traffic and realized that the ferry-girl would be the one to take a hit should something go wrong, he slammed his foot on the breaks. They both rocked forward, only saved by the seat belts pushing them back, as the car came to a skidding halt.

Botan was taking a few deep breaths, her eyes wide and full of terror.

"You might possibly be the worst driver in all three worlds!" Botan yelled through unsteady breaths. "There are rules and regulations and you can't just violate them! You nearly killed us both!"

"Shut up, woman, you're fine."

"For the time being," she huffed. "Who knows what other clever ideas you might come up with? Maybe you'll want to drive directly into oncoming traffic! Ooh, or perhaps you'll decide to drive with no hands!"

Hiei rolled his eyes. She was being dramatic and he was in no mood.

"If you insist on talking so much, then at least make yourself useful," he ordered as he gripped the steering wheel. "You have the directions to the cabin, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Good, then tell them to me."

"Y-you mean you don't even know where you're going?"

"Hn."

"Ugh! You are completely insufferable!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, you've told me this before. Now hurry and give me the directions, before we waste any more time bickering."

Botan huffed as she pulled a folded piece of paper out from her pocket.

"Next time, I'll be the one behind the wheel, and you'll be the one giving directions!"

The light turned green and Hiei sped off again, without warning and without restraint. He drove past the city and into the rural area, where the buildings got smaller and the trees larger. The roads were longer, winding down endlessly. They seemed to be getting further and further away from civilization, which suited Hiei just fine. He much preferred the quiet solitude of nature over the bustling confusion of the city.

-x-

It was hours later until they final arrived to the cabin house. The ferry-girl was still angry with him over his preferred way of driving, but he couldn't really be bothered to care. They had made it here in one piece and without any accidents. She should have been grateful.

"You look like you've seen better days," Yusuke commented, watching as Botan exited the car.

"I have!" she confirmed, her hair and clothes both disheveled.

"Another _'lovers spat'_?" Yusuke asked, making air quotations as he spoke.

"Hmph!" Botan stomped off, walking towards the girls as Hiei smirked.

"So how'd Botan originally rope you into this weekend getaway anyway?" Yusuke inquired, leaning on their car with an interested smirk. "Lots and lots of sex?"

"Hardly, the woman's a prude."

"Uh, I wouldn't go that far. I'm still disturbed by that time I walked in on you two at Kuwabara's place and she had-"

"Yusuke!" Keiko growled from the threshold of the door.

"Sheesh."

Hiei glanced over at the ferry-girl as she greeted the detective's woman and then proceeded to enter the house. When they first arrived to this world, he couldn't see the appeal in maintaining a long-term relationship with her. She was loud and intrusive. She was overly cheerful and optimistic. She was overbearing and tended to nag. But over the past few weeks he had learned that there was more to her than that and he was admittedly starting to understand what the other Hiei possibly saw in her.

"Earth to Hiei?" Yusuke droned, waving a hand in front of his face.

"What?" he snapped.

"Are you gonna stand there like a lump on a log or are we gonna get a move on?"

He rolled his eyes. He wasn't looking forward to this weekend at all.

* * *

Botan's sour mood was almost immediately expelled as she entered the cabin house. It was comfortable and cozy, decorated in the warm tones of autumn and filled with character. The main floor was entirely open, the living room leading straight into the kitchen. There was a small hall that led to two bedrooms and a bathroom, along with the staircase that led to the upper level. She glanced at the photos on the fireplace mantle, smiling at the one of a teenaged Kurama without his long locks and another of Kurama with his mother, his stepfather and stepbrother. It was awfully nice of Kurama to extend his family home to them like this and she was looking forward to the change in scenery.

"This place is so beautiful," she admired, turning to face Kurama.

"I have grown fond of it," he replied with a smile of his own. "Let me show you to the room you'll be staying in."

He led her up the stairs, to the door on the left. It was decently sized, with a single large dresser and a closet. The bed was a bit smaller than the one back at the apartment, but they would simply have to make do.

"I'll let you get settled in," Kurama said. "We'll all convene downstairs in a few minutes."

"Sounds good!"

Moments later, Hiei joined her, carrying all of the bags. Although she was angry with him for driving like a mad man, she couldn't help but feel guilty over making him lug everything up here on his own.

"Oops, I'm sorry, I forgot all about those," she said sheepishly.

"Hn."

He dropped them all on the floor and then deposited himself face first on the bed, an action he had taken to performing when he was low on patience, energy or strength.

"Exhausted already?" she asked with a perceptive smile.

"At the end of my wits," he replied, his voice muffled by the pillow he had pressed his face against.

"This is only the beginning," she noted.

"And I've already seen more of the oaf than I'd need to in a lifetime."

She giggled.

"Well, I'm going to unpack everything and then I'll join them downstairs. Do you want to stay in here, or…"

"Wake me when you're finished," he requested, rolling over to lay on his back as he closed his eyes.

"You mean you're actually going to join us?"

"I don't trust that the detective won't try something puerile if I fell asleep while he was around."

"You have a point there," she agreed.

She made quick work of hanging up their clothes and packing some away in the drawers. Their room was connected to another via the bathroom, which worked out well enough. She glanced out the window at the changing colors of the leaves and the peaceful scenery outside. The lake was glittering in the midday sun, the water was calm and even though the sky was turning grey, it was still a beautiful day.

She remained at the window, thinking of nothing in particular as she gave Hiei a few extra minutes of rest. He had been putting up with a lot lately and she was sure that he would need all the help he could get this weekend, even if he didn't admit it. She was glad that he was here, though. It wouldn't be the same without him.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Kuwabara give off a loud bellow. The others must have been reconvening downstairs, so she decided to rouse the sleeping prince him from his slumber.

"I'm all ready," she said, leaning down to touch his shoulder softly. "Time to go."

He dragged a hand down his face, putting on a stoic look as he followed after her. Just as she thought, everyone had just gathered around the kitchen.

"All settled in?" Shizuru asked.

"Yes, this really is a very lovely house. And the view is gorgeous," Botan marveled.

"Thank you, we spent summers here on occasion. If the weather was warmer, we could have made use of the lake," Kurama mentioned.

"That would have been nice," she replied.

"I was planning on showing you all around the area, but it looks as though it's about to rain," Kurama commented, emerald eyes drifting towards the window. "Perhaps we should stay inside for the time being."

"How about a little game of cards until the storm passes?" Shizuru suggested.

"I'm always down for a little strip poker," Yusuke grinned, mischief glinting in his brown eyes.

A sharp glare from Keiko was all the response he received.

"I believe we have board games in the closet," Kurama informed helpfully.

"What about Jenga?" Yusuke asked. "I brought it just in case."

"That was surprisingly innocent of you," Shizuru said.

"I agree," Kurama supported.

"Hey, I can be useful when I want to be, okay?" Yusuke insisted. "In fact, I'll even set it up."

"Urameshi," Kuwabara began warningly.

"No, Kuwabara, you can't help me," Yusuke dismissed. "Your big, clumsy hands will get in the way."

"That's not what I was gonna say!" Kuwabara said, trailing after him.

"Something fishy is going on with those two," Keiko noted warily.

Botan nodded in agreement, watching as Yusuke disappeared up the stairs. He and Kuwabara returned to the living room shortly after, huddling around the living room table as they constructed a tower of blocks. She recognized this game, though she had never played it before.

"Let's go see what they're up to," Shizuru suggested.

Kurama and Keiko were the first to follow and Botan would have done the same, had she not noticed a certain raven-haired man firmly rooted in his spot against the kitchen counter.

"Hiei, aren't you coming along?" she asked.

"I refuse to play these trivial games," he answered simply.

"It could be fun," she tempted.

"It's bad enough that I'm stuck here with the clown, the detective, the fox and the two other women. I don't intend to spend more time with them than necessary," he maintained.

Botan looked over at Yukina knowingly.

"Would at least play one game, brother?" Yukina asked. "For me?"

Botan could almost see his will weakening and unfolding in front of them. There was little he could do when Yukina entered the equation, after all. She found this side of him extremely adorable and telling of his character, but she kept that knowledge to herself as she watched the twins intently.

"Please?" Yukina requested, ruby eyes fixed on him pleadingly.

He sighed, tearing his sharp gaze away with a resigned air.

"One game," he agreed as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "That's all."

Botan clapped her hands together as she grinned at the shorter woman.

"Nice going, Yukina!"

Yukina smiled wordlessly.

Hiei followed them into the living room, where everyone was surrounding the table. Botan took a seat opposite of Yusuke, between Kurama and Keiko, while Yukina took her place between the Kuwabara siblings. Hiei chose to stand on the outskirts of it all, his arms crossed tightly against his chest with his mouth pressed into a firm line and his crimson eyes betraying none of his thoughts.

"How do we decide who gets the first turn?" Kuwabara asked, looking around at everyone.

"I think we should let the ladies go first," Yusuke suggested.

"I'm not waking into this trap," Keiko refused with a stern shake of her head.

"Shizuru?" Yusuke asked, turning to his right and fixing her with an expectant look.

"Do I look like I was born yesterday?" she countered, raising a brow challengingly.

"Yukina?" Yusuke tried, looking at her from across the table.

"No! She's not going first," Kuwabara declared before Yukina could even get a word in.

Botan stared at Kuwabara suspiciously, before looking towards Yusuke. She couldn't understand why everyone was acting so strange. This _Jenga_ game looked quite fun and harmless. She had always wanted to play it one day and there was no better time than the present.

"Well, if no one else wants to go, I suppose I will," she announced.

"That a girl!" Yusuke encouraged.

She chose to poke one of the lower blocks out and onto the other side of the structure, letting out a sigh of relief when the tower remained in tact. Turning her eyes to the rest of the group, she smiled.

"Well, that wasn't so bad!"

"It's not over yet," Yusuke said with a grin, as he handed the block to her.

She received it with a confused frown, looking down at the scrawl on the surface. It was undoubtedly Yusuke's handwriting – she recognized it after all these years – and she immediately didn't have a good feeling about this. Her gut instinct was validated upon taking in the brazen instructions written on the block.

"Yusuke… what in the world is this?" she asked.

"It's Jenga with a surprise twist!" he announced with a smug grin. "Thought it'd make the game more interesting."

"You're a pervert!" Botan balked.

"What does it say?" Keiko asked.

"Shirt off," she recited while glaring at Yusuke.

"Yusuke!" Keiko admonished.

He was still wearing that self-satisfied grin, even as the brunette beside him was glaring daggers at him.

"Kazuma, did you know about this?" Shizuru accused.

"…Maybe," he answered feebly, avoiding all eye contact.

"Well this is just ridiculous! I'm not taking my shirt off!" Botan stated.

"You decided to play the game; it's not my fault you don't like the rules," Yusuke retorted.

"You never explained the rules!" she pointed out.

"That's part of the fun," Yusuke claimed.

Botan huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in as she pressed her lips together in a silent protest. Yusuke was out of her mind if he thought she would do as he intended. She was perfectly fine dressed in her fuchsia sweater and there was no way she was removing it. The material was soft and thick and warm and, although there was no need to wear another layer underneath, she was starting to wish she had.

"Is it safe to assume that there are all sorts of prompts on these blocks?" Shizuru asked, waving a hand at the tower.

"Yeah and they're not for the faint of heart," Yusuke grinned.

"Then you can count me out," she finished.

"Me too," Keiko agreed, exchanging a knowing look with Shizuru.

"I don't think I'll play either," Yukina added quietly.

"Girls!" Botan exclaimed, looking over to them for support.

"Sorry, Bo," Shizuru said. "But there's no way I'm getting wrapped up in this."

Botan let out a miserable groan, regretting her decision to play in the first place. She should have known no good would come out of this.

"So, you gonna take off your shirt and let us go on with the game?" Yusuke asked.

"Absolutely not!"

"Don't be like that Botan. It's all in good fun, right Kuwabara?" Yusuke teased.

"Don't rope me into this Urameshi!" Kuwabara huffed.

"Well, I don't see how we can continue unless Botan does her part," Yusuke commented, rubbing his chin in mock concern.

"What happens if she refuses?" Kurama asked, drawing Yusuke's attention to him.

"Then she forfeits and loses," Yusuke answered.

"That's not fair at all!" Botan objected.

"Can someone take up the challenge in her stead?" Kurama inquired.

"I guess so - but she'd have to give her block over to them," Yusuke decided.

Botan frowned. She didn't want to have to hand over her piece, but she didn't want to take her shirt off, either. It just wasn't fair!

"So, what'll it be Botan?" Yusuke goaded.

She bit her lip worriedly. She supposed giving up her block would be better than losing out entirely. She briefly considered her options. There was no way she would give her point to Yusuke - he didn't deserve it after tricking her. Kuwabara would probably refuse on the principle of the matter and Kurama wasn't the type to shed his clothes and bare his body over such a trivial matter. That only left...

"That's enough, detective," Hiei interrupted from behind her.

She turned to face him questioningly.

"Hiei?"

He said nothing as he removed his black shirt and let it fall to the floor. She shouldn't have been surprised – Hiei wasn't exactly modest – but the fact that he had done it for her warmed her heart.

"I've fulfilled the conditions of your foolish requirement," he stated. "Now leave her be."

"I was hoping to see some boobs, but hey, way to get into the spirit of the game!" Yusuke cheered.

Hiei sat down next to Botan wordlessly and she handed the Jenga piece over to him. He was always doing things like this for her, without seeking a single thing in return.

"You didn't have to..." she began.

"I know."

She smiled as that pesky feeling arose within her heart again and threatened to overtake her entirely.

"Thank you."

* * *

The ferry-girl was staring at him in that way that made his chest tight and all he could do was nod in response and look away. He was still unsure of how he had gotten tricked into playing his silly little diversion, but there was little he could do about it now.

Besides, even though Yusuke had duped them all, he too was bound by the rules of the game. Hiei set his sights across the table, his gaze hardening as he regarded the other man.

"I believe it's your turn, detective," he ordered.

"Yeah, I guess so," he acknowledged. He cocked a brow at the other women, who were now seated on the long couch behind them. "You girls sure you're sitting out?"

"Positive," Keiko replied for them.

"Alright," he said, rubbing his hands together as brown eyes inspected the tower. When he finally procured a piece and read the instructions, his smug grin fell away bit-by-bit and the color was slowly draining from his face.

"What does it say, Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked, leaning closer to take a peek.

"Kiss the person to your right," he read begrudgingly, turning his eyes to Kuwabara.

"No way!" Kuwabara let out a cry of disgust, backing up a few feet and inadvertently bumping into Kurama. "We're not doing _that_ , Urameshi!"

Yusuke grimaced.

"Trust me, this is not how I was expecting this to go."

"Keiko, please take my place," Kuwabara nearly begged. "You have to kiss him all the time, anyway!"

"I think I'll pass," she declined pointedly, looking all too satisfied with the sudden turn of events.

"Yukina?" Yusuke turned to the aquamarine haired woman. "Want to do me a solid and take my turn?"

"Wouldn't it be considered cheating if you received help from someone who wasn't playing the game?" she questioned good-naturedly.

Yusuke sighed, shoulders falling into a slump.

"Come now, this is all part of the fun, isn't it?" Botan taunted.

"Yes, you shouldn't prolong the inevitable," Kurama supported.

"Make your move, detective," Hiei demanded.

Yusuke turned to face Kuwabara, who was already eyeing him warily. The detective got that determined look in his eyes, the one that sharpened his features and lit up his gaze; the one that assured his victory each and every time.

"Come here you big lug," Yusuke teased as he grabbed a hold of Kuwabara's face.

"No, Urameshi, don't-"

Kuwabara tried to pull away, struggling desperately under Yusuke's hold, but the detective's grip was iron tight. When Yusuke finally managed to land a big, sloppy kiss on his cheek, Kuwabara let out a strangled noise and quickly pulled away. The others broke into uncontrollable laughter as Kuwabara wiped at his face furiously in an attempt to remove all traces of what had just occurred.

Hiei's mouth ticked upwards in satisfaction. If the game would continue on in this fashion, then perhaps it wasn't so bad.

"That was almost worth it for the look on your face," Yusuke said.

"Shut up, Urameshi!" Kuwabara grumbled.

"Why so shy, baby brother. It's not as if this is the first time," Shizuru soothed.

"Say what now?" Yusuke asked, blinking as he looked between the siblings.

"It happened in a nightmare, okay?" Kuwabara confessed lowly, his cheeks tinted in embarrassment. "And you promised to keep that a secret, Shizuru!"

Shizuru only shrugged in return as Botan stifled a giggle.

"Dude… is there something you aren't telling me?" Yusuke asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"No!" Kuwabara shouted. "Like I said, it was a really bad dream!"

"Well, awkward and unrequited crush aside, it is your turn," Yusuke announced.

Kuwabara muttered something under his breath as he reached forward and removed a piece from the tower.

"What does it say, Kazuma?" Yukina asked.

"Chug a beer," he recited, before breaking out into a bright grin. "Hey, I can do that!"

Shizuru took the liberty of procuring a can from the fridge passing it to Kuwabara with an encouraging pat on the shoulder. He opened the can with a grin, downed the entire thing in a few gulps and then let out a loud and uncouth belch. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his blue shirt and apologized sheepishly – which Hiei suspected was mostly for Yukina's benefit – before going on to crush the can between his hands in what he perceived to be a display of manliness.

"Kazuma Kuwabara does it again!" he hailed.

Hiei barely managed to contain his disgust, especially when he noticed Yukina smiling at the fool as though he had done something noteworthy. He would never understand what she saw in him, but he supposed it wasn't his place to understand it.

"You're up, foxy," Yusuke remarked.

Kurama's emerald eyes were cautious and calculating as they passed over the structure. He settled on a piece from the weakest point of the tower, causing the others to watch with baited breath as he worked to remove it. Hiei, on the other hand, was unimpressed with the fox's show and was not at all surprised when he succeeded in his task. He rarely failed at anything – something Hiei had to learn the hard way.

"No pants," Kurama orated simply, raising a brow over at Yusuke.

"That's the luck of the draw…" Yusuke defended with a shrug.

"I don't suppose you'll want to take my turn, too, Hiei?" Kurama asked jokingly.

"Not likely," Hiei returned, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"Guess there's nothing left for you to do but take it off fox boy!" Yusuke hollered.

"Yeah!" Kuwabara cheered.

Botan joined in with a clap of her hands. "Go Kurama!"

Kurama shook his head, but stood up to do what he was told nonetheless. It was strange to see the usually calm and composed redhead out of his element. He was sure the others couldn't spot it, but Hiei could clearly see the hesitance in his movements and in his expression. Perhaps coming to this wretched cabin was worth it after all, he thought to himself. When Kurama unbuttoned his jeans, Hiei glanced away immediately, not at all interested in seeing the fox's drawers.

"Nice boxers," Shizuru observed. "Between you and Hiei, us girls are getting quite the peep show."

Hiei grunted as Kurama chuckled lightly.

"Che, the last thing I wanted to see this weekend was an eye-full of guys," Yusuke lamented.

"It sounds like karmic justice to me," Botan teased.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Yusuke said, waving a hand dismissively. "It's your turn Jaganshi."

Hiei looked at the remaining blocks disinterestedly. It was clear that the objective of the game was to a remove a piece without toppling the tower, but he didn't understand why everyone had sought to pull the most risky block out first. He didn't much care about the spirit of competition or the outcome of the game, so he simply retrieved a block from the very top of the structure.

"It's blank," he informed, upon turning it over in his hand.

"Lucky bastard," Yusuke said with a click of his tongue. "I thought I'd leave a few of them like that to cut you all some slack."

That was fine by Hiei and he dropped his piece in front of him on the table as Botan reached forward next. The tower looked as though it might fall for a moment, but in the end she had successfully completed her turn.

"Kiss the person to your left," she read simply, before the words sunk in and her eyes doubled in size.

Hiei met her wide-eyed gaze, the realization of what they would have to do sinking in quickly.

"At least you don't have to kiss Urameshi," Kuwabara consoled. "Trust me, that's the last thing you want to do."

"I couldn't possibly..." she sputtered.

"Why not?" Yusuke asked.

"Because Hiei doesn't like PDA!" she said.

"Too bad, I don't make the rules," Yusuke replied.

"You kinda did!" Kuwabara interjected.

"Anyway, you gotta do it like you mean it," Yusuke continued. "He's your boyfriend, not your brother. If it's not on the lips, it doesn't count."

"You are such a pervert," Keiko muttered, slapping his shoulder lightly although she was clearly amused by the turn of events.

"You know you love it," he returned cheekily.

Hiei glanced at the ferry-girl as he considered his options. If they refused, the others would surely find it suspicious. Besides, out of the options seated at the table, he would much rather he be the one she was forced to do this with. Yusuke was a pervert, Kuwabara was a fool and Kurama had a way with women that Hiei did not trust. This was the only sensible alternative. It was the only option they had.

"Do it," he urged quietly.

"Are you certain?" she whispered back.

He nodded.

"A-alright…"

She turned to face him and he could plainly see the hesitation crinkling her slender brow and down turning her pink lips. She had played the role of the faithful girlfriend countless times before, so he failed to see what had her so nervous now.

Unlike most others, he had never attached any sentimentality to the gesture and, although he did not prefer kissing his partners, he was no stranger to engaging in the act. In his opinion, a kiss was nothing more than a meaningless display. It meant nothing and it never would.

But then she placed her hands on either side of his face, her palms cool and smooth against his heated skin.

She stared at him like he was the only one in the room and when her lips met his, everything he thought he knew began to slowly unravel and fall apart.

The pressure of her mouth against his was feather light and tentative, but it was better than he had ever experienced before. It was hard not to lose himself in the sensation of her lips moving against his so slowly and softly, especially when she smelled so good. He followed her lead, chasing after her lips and fighting against the urge to take control.

He vaguely heard the others cheering them on, but he was more than willing to tune them out as he gave into the sensory overload. The simple bit of contact had ignited a flame within him, thawing his frozen heart and filling his veins with fire. He wanted more and he was almost certain he could take it—

But then she pulled away. Hiei had to suppress the displeased growl that nearly surfaced from his throat as he remembered how to breathe again.

"There, it's done. Are you happy now?" Botan asked, cheeks flushed the same rosy color as her lips.

Hiei did not even bother to hear the detective's response, still too wired from what had happened. He had to clench his fists to restrain himself from pulling her back against him to finish what she had started. His head buzzing with the same sort of rush he felt when he mastered a new technique and he couldn't understand how a simple kiss from the ferry-girl would elicit such a response within him. It was unfathomable, and yet, here he was, unable to deny what had happened. He didn't have much time to contemplate it, though, as the sudden uproar from the rest of the group pulled him from his thoughts.

"It's not funny!" Yusuke said, throwing his block down in disgust. "I sure as hell am not playing seven minutes in heaven with any of you guys and if I even tried it with Botan, both Hiei and Keiko would skewer me."

Hiei frowned in confusion.

"What exactly is seven minutes in heaven?" Botan asked.

"Weren't you invited to any parties when you were younger?" Kuwabara asked.

"Of course I was!" she lied. "But that still doesn't explain what seven minutes in heaven means."

"It's this silly little game where you take the object of your affections to the closet and do whatever you want in there," Keiko informed helpfully.

Hiei immediately understood what the brunette was getting at, but the ferry-girl seemed to need a little more clarification.

"You're supposed to make-out. You can get handsy, too, if you want," Yusuke explained, before turning to smirk at Keiko. "I was really hoping you'd be playing if I pulled this one, Keiko."

"Maybe you and Kuwabara can finish what you started," Keiko shot back with a teasing smile.

"Psh," Yusuke scoffed. "Kuwabara's a total prude."

"The fact still stands: someone must complete the task at hand. You said so yourself," Kurama reminded him.

Hiei spoke before his brain could catch up with him – his mind a muddled mess over what had just occurred.

"We will take it," he stated, lips still warm with the memory of Botan's as he spoke.

All eyes turned to him, but he was unperturbed. If he understood it correctly, he would simply have to go inside of the closet with the ferry-girl for seven minutes. He would gain a slight reprieve from the rest of them while missing out on this foolish game. It would be the perfect opportunity to clear his mind and collect his composure.

"For real?" Yusuke asked, perking up at the thought of being free of his punishment.

"Yes."

"You're a life saver, Hiei!" Yusuke said, reaching over the table to pass his block off.

He grunted dismissively as he stood to full height.

"Let's go," he urged, looking down at the ferry-girl.

He held out his hand for her, waiting expectantly.

"O-okay," she agreed, reaching out and allowing him to pull her up.

She let go first and he supposed that was for the best. Any extra contact with her probably wasn't in his best interest. He began walking towards the closet without another word, Botan's footsteps trailing behind him.

"Have fun you two," Yusuke called out.

"But not too much fun, this is a family cabin..." Kurama noted.

Hiei closed the door behind them, ignoring the jeers and mocking from the others. Botan turned on a light and he was surprised to see that the space was fairly large. There were a few jackets and coats hung up, along with a built in shelf that contained games and human knickknacks that Hiei didn't particularly care about. It was an ordinary closet, owned by ordinary humans, but the fact that he and the ferry-girl were here and he was having such unnatural thoughts about her was anything but ordinary.

"Let's see," Botan began as she stared down at her phone. "It's 3:21, which means we have to wait until 3:28 to be free."

"That's fine. I'd rather not be near the madness that is occurring out there."

"I see, so that's why you decided to help Yusuke out."

He nodded.

"I don't hear any lips smacking!" Yusuke's voice hollered.

He kicked the door in response, his irritation only subsiding when he heard them get back into the commotion of the game. Botan clasped her hands behind her as she looked around.

"What do you think of the place?"

"The closet?" he asked, raising a brow.

"No, I mean the house as a whole," she giggled. "Isn't it lovely?"

"It's just a house," he grumbled.

She simply smiled at him, unfazed by his dismissal of the topic. She was always smiling at him like that, but this time, he found himself concentrated on her lips and how they extended. He killed the though immediately and averted his gaze determinedly.

"…Is everything okay?" Botan asked, the concern clear in her voice. "I hope I didn't cross a line back there…"

"You didn't," he replied tightly, hurriedly.

"Hiei…" she said sullenly.

"You did nothing wrong," he reiterated, tempering both his tone and expression. "I simply prefer to wait out what little time we have left in silence."

"Okay, you got it," she assented. "I'll be as quiet as a mouse!"

She pulled her phone out once again and began to busy herself with it as he took up a cross-legged position on the floor. He closed his eyes, but all he saw was her blue hair, inviting purple eyes and teasing smile. It was maddening and frustrating, but he knew that he was stronger than this. He wasn't some juvenile boy who couldn't control his urges. He was a warrior. He knew the meaning of the word restraint.

He swallowed thickly and then took a deep breath, allowing it to fill his lungs before expelling the air slowly. He thought of Kuwabara's cat and the way he often fawned over the tiny, furry menace. He recalled the time when Yusuke and Kurama had gotten tangled in the latter's rose whip in a team-up that had gone horribly wrong. He remembered the ridiculous 'mission' Koenma had sent them on to retrieve his lost pacifier within the endless maze of hallways in the Spirit World. He thought of anything and everything to expel the woman from his mind and, for the better part of seven minutes, he had succeeded. Before he knew it, her phone let out an alarm that alerted the both of them to the fact that their time was up.

He moved to open the door, but when Botan placed a hand over his, all of his willpower crumbled again.

"We should probably fix ourselves first, don't you think?" she questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, shouldn't we look more disheveled? Like in the movies?" she pointed out.

"What are you talking about-"

All further thought died as she began running her hands through his hair, ruffling it and pulling it in different directions. She was so close and all he could register was the feeling of her fingers carding through his hair and easing his tension. He took in a deep breath, her scent invading his mind once again and slowly breaking down the resolve he had just worked so hard to build up.

"There," she said, taking a step back to admire her work. "Now we can leave."

"You're forgetting about yourself," he pointed out.

"Oh, right," she said sheepishly, as she moved to ruffle her bangs a bit.

He almost wanted to laugh at the pathetic display.

"Is something amusing, Hiei?" she challenged.

"Woman, if you were mine and we were alone, I'd do a lot more to you than that," he stated brazenly.

Her brows rose so high that they were hidden behind her messy bangs.

"Y-you…"

"I'll show you," he offered, enjoying the way her cheeks flushed under the low light.

He didn't know what was spurring him on – perhaps he was simply riling her up or maybe he was letting his desires get the best of him – either way, he had no intentions of stopping. Her eyes widened as he backed her up against the wall, one hand resting on the small of her back as the other lifted to her ponytail. He undid the tie in one smooth motion, her soft hair threading through his fingers. Though he wanted nothing more than to guide her lips back towards his eagerly, he stretched the moment out, giving her the time and opportunity to stop, should she want to. He smirked as her eyes lowered to a half-lidded stare and she inched closer towards him.

"Hiei," she whispered, the close proximity and the breathy way she had said his name doing all sorts of things to his sanity.

He angled his mouth lower. It would take so little to close the distance between them; to claim her lips with his. He could do it slow and sweet - the way she would like - or he could take her the way he wanted and introduce her to something akin to what was housed in the pages of that book she loved so much. Just a little bit further and they would both get what they wanted. Just a little more until-

"Time's up," Shizuru announced as knocked on the door and proceeded to open it.

The sudden influx of cold air and light that flooded the closet broke him from his stupor. He pulled away from the ferry-girl, not entirely sure of what came over him. Botan was still staring back at him, lashes fluttering as she blinked between him and the others like a deer in headlights. He motioned for her to exit first and then he followed after her wordlessly. Running a hand through his tousled hair in frustration, he berated himself for being so impulsive and foolish.

"Looks like you two had fun," Keiko teased.

Botan laughed sheepishly, her face flushed as she moved to tie her hair up.

"Y-yes…" was all she could manage to say.

"And you're just in time, Hiei," Yusuke added. "It's your turn."

Hiei refocused his attentions on the three players around the table, surprised to see how quickly things had changed. Kuwabara and Kurama had switched shirts, presumably at the behest of Yusuke's absurd prompts. Kuwabara's shirt dwarfed Kurama's thin frame while the dress material of Kurama's top was stretched to its limit on Kuwabara's broader body. On top of that, Yusuke's hair had been fastened into two strange looking mini ponytails, seated at either side of his head.

"Be careful," Kurama cautioned. "Kuwabara nearly toppled the whole thing while fulfilling the requirements of his last turn."

"What do you mean?" Botan asked.

"He had to dance to _Lady Marmalade_ ," Keiko revealed.

Hiei raised a brow in confusion.

"A very suggestive song," Shizuru filled in.

Hiei barely contained his grimace. Enough was enough. Yusuke and Kuwabara were acting like bigger idiots than normal, Kurama had lost nearly all of his dignity and even Hiei himself and been infected with this human perversion, with his uncharacteristic and unbidden attraction towards the ferry-girl.

This madness would go on all weekend unless he did something about it, so he pushed his index finger against the weakest point of the unsteady tower, finding a sick satisfaction as the pieces crashed down and scattered on the table.

"Oh no," he said flatly. "My hand slipped."

"Hiei, you little shit!" Yusuke shouted.

Kurama hid a smile behind his neutral expression, while Kuwabara cheered.

"Good move, shorty. I wasn't sure how much more of that I could take," Kuwabara commended.

"Really? Cause you look like you were really getting into that girly dance you were doing earlier," Yusuke taunted.

They two began squabbling in the background and Hiei rolled his eyes as he collected his shirt and pulled it over his head again. He had only been here for the better part of an hour and he was already losing his sanity. He glanced over at the ferry-girl – who was attempting to break up the fight between the two bickering idiots – and he found himself wholly unable to take his eyes off of her. He wasn't sure what was happening to him, but he knew that he needed to put an end to it soon, for both of their sakes.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed the insanity that occurred in this chapter. Catch part two of the cabin adventures – and Hiei's subsequent struggles – in the next installment.


	16. Chapter 16

Botan knew that kissing Hiei would be a horrible idea; the very thought of it messed with her mind and toyed with her already confused heart. But everyone was egging her on and Hiei had surprisingly given her his full consent, so she inhaled a deep breath and resolved to fulfill the conditions of the game with some semblance of dignity. The plan was to simply swoop in, give him an innocent peck on the lips and then pull away as quickly as possible, but all coherent thought melted away the moment her mouth met his. They fit together perfectly and her entire being radiated with a heat that she had never experienced before. It was fiery and electric, sweet and soft all at once. His lips moved against hers more gently than she thought he was capable of and she tried to memorize the ways their mouths molded together for as long as it lasted. When she eventually broke away, she found it difficult to quell her racing heart or dispel the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach, but she had somehow managed to at least pretend that it didn't affect her greatly.

…That is until Hiei had landed them both inside of that accursed closet and everything spiraled out of control. All of her resolve and self-control shattered when he looked at her with that devilish glint in his crimson eyes and that downright naughty smirk on his face. Hiei had often teased her for his own amusement, but this time was different. She could feel the tension like static in the air, crackling between them with renewed fervor. And then he spoke the words that were her undoing:

" _Woman, if you were mine and we were alone, I'd do a lot more to you than that."_

Her cheeks flushed at the low and slightly husky quality his voice had taken on as he advanced towards her. She was caught under the spell of his sharp gaze and entranced by the touch of his hand. She should have stopped him, she should have pushed him away, but his body was so close and so warm and she had the crazy urge to feel his lips on hers again.

"Hey!"

Botan jolted in surprise as Yusuke prodded her with a wooden spoon and brought her back to reality.

"You damn near begged me to let you help me cook and now you're standing there with that dazed look on your face," he snapped, an accusatory frown narrowing his gaze and pulling his mouth downwards.

"I'm sorry!" she apologized quickly, before looking around at the mess of a kitchen. There were three pots on the stove, heating at various temperatures, and a slew of vegetables on the counter. "What do you need?"

Yusuke looked around, rubbing his chin in contemplating before nodding to himself.

"Just make the salads," he answered dismissively. "One fruit and one regular."

"Salad?" she echoed in outrage. "Kuwabara could do something as simple as that!"

"Exactly," he replied as he turned around to stir one of the pots. "You've been demoted."

"Yusuke, that's not fair at all!"

"My kitchen, my rules."

"It's technically Kurama's kitchen," she argued back, hands on her hips.

"But I'm the one running it," he returned, throwing her a pointed look over his shoulder. "So get to chopping."

Botan dragged her feet as she trudged towards the opposite end of the counter, shoulders slumped in defeat and a sigh escaping from her lips. Yusuke was so high strung when it came to cooking, but - if she was being completely honest - she had been shirking out on her responsibilities. Part of the reason why she was so insistent on helping him out in the first place was to put some distance between herself and Hiei, but that clearly was not working. She was trapped in her thoughts and uncertainties and it seemed as though nothing would pull her out of it.

She brought her fingers up to the corner of her mouth unthinkingly. Hiei's touch still lingered on her lips and, try as she might, she couldn't erase it. She was inexplicably drawn to him and she had no idea of how to dispel this strange attraction that had overtaken her.

Suddenly, she recalled one of Shishiwakamaru's offhanded comments from years ago, back when he was still training under Genkai. He said that when two attractive people were around each other for long enough, they were naturally pulled towards each other. She thought it nothing more than nonsense coming out of the mouth of a womanizer; however, it was starting to make perfect sense now.

She glanced over at Hiei, the open floor plan of the cabin affording her a nice and easy view. The others were scattered in various areas of the cabin, but Hiei remained in the living room area. He was currently sitting cross-legged on the couch, his eyes closed and mouth drawn into a concentrated line. All he was missing was his sword and his jagan and she would think he was engaging in some sort of mental training. She had seen him this way a few times, but in the end he always gave up, frustration tightening his jaw.

She wondered what he was thinking about. Surely he wasn't as conflicted as she was over the earlier events.

Hiei was experienced and had done these things before. It was probably normal to him; nothing special or worth remembering.

She tore her gaze away from the raven-haired man and bit at her bottom lip worriedly. It didn't matter. There was no point deliberating over anything because it held no consequence in the grand scheme of things. What mattered now was stopping this madness before it got out of hand and nipping it in the bud. She simply needed a little bit of time away from him to clear her head and then they could move on from this temporary insanity. Yes, that was it.

"Botan!" Yusuke exclaimed. "Get a move on, will you?"

"Alright, alright!"

* * *

Hiei tuned out the clatter of pots and pans that resonated from the kitchen, especially making it a point to ignore the detective and the ferry-girl's squabbling in the background as he sat on one of the living room couches. A glance out the window signaled that it was still raining, though not as harshly as before. He suspected it would be over soon and perhaps he would take a walk to clear his head of the pesky thoughts that had taken residence there.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not banish the unbidden thoughts of the ferry-girl. Just the thought of her bothersome mouth and soft curves made him question his sanity. He heard her giggle at something Yusuke had said and frowned. He should have just gone back to the bedroom, but then he would be subjected to hearing the rest of the women talking about all sorts of things that he was not interested in from the room that connected to his. Kurama might have been better company than the silence of the living room, but he was with Kuwabara, and Hiei had no intentions of being anywhere near the oaf. The only place Hiei could find any peace was in the living room - even if that meant he had a clear view of the woman he was trying to avoid.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Perhaps if he thought this through, as the fox often urged him to do, he could deal with this properly. It was his first time not acting on impulse and desire. If he wanted a woman and she wanted him back, he had her. It was the way of the demon world. It was understood that any time he spent with a partner was simply to satiate a single desire and meant nothing beyond that.

But Botan was different. She was naive and inexperienced and her ideals vastly different from his own. She would undoubtedly equate sex to affection and affection to love. And that was something he could not allow. Even if they had gotten closer, love was not something he was capable of feeling and it wouldn't do any of them any good if she got the wrong idea.

That would undoubtedly be a much bigger issue.

When he thought of it like that, he supposed his current predicament really wasn't all that big of a deal. A passing attraction was not out of the ordinary. The ferry-girl was an appealing woman; she had a nice body and a pretty face. But just because he found her desirable, didn't mean that he should act upon it. It wouldn't be fair to her and, although he had never been the noble sort, he did not want to do wrong by her.

He released a deep breath, the tension unwinding from his shoulders as his mind unclouded. It all seemed so simple now. Cracking an eye open, he glanced at the smiling ferry-girl. Everything was much easier now that he had decided to reign himself in for Botan's sake. He wondered why that was.

"Food's ready!" Yusuke hollered suddenly, pulling Hiei from his thoughts. "Everybody come down to eat!"

He watched as the women filtered down the staircase and the oaf and fox emerged from the hallway. He didn't much feel like joining them at the moment. He considered waiting until everyone was finished and then eating on his own, but then Yukina approached him.

"Aren't you coming along, brother?" she asked, a soft, hopeful smile on her features.

He did not want to disappoint her, so he nodded and resigned himself to his fate. As they approached the large, wooden dining table, Hiei picked up on the beginnings of a conversation that piqued his interest.

"You're very creative, perhaps you should write a novel or manga series," Kurama encouraged.

"Maybe I will. I'm sure there are lots of people who'd think it was interesting," Kuwabara replied, crossing his arms over his chest and sniffing self-importantly.

"Yeah, the patients over at the psych ward would love it," Yusuke taunted as he placed the last dish down and took his place at the table.

"Shut up, Urameshi!" Kuwabara huffed. "You're just too simple to understand the complexities of my dreams."

"Yes," Botan agreed. "They are quite fascinating. In fact, I was wondering if you had any noteworthy ones lately..."

Hiei took the last seat left, directly across from the ferry-girl. Although he pretended to be disinterested, he was keen to hear any news he could concerning his reality. He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded the psychic.

"Do tell, oaf," Hiei urged, his tone more cutting than necessary. "Light entertainment before a meal is customary."

Yusuke snorted back a laugh as Kuwabara sent him a dirty look.

"Ignore them," Botan said soothingly. "They're just jealous."

"Yeah," Keiko supported. "Yusuke hates when he's not the center of attention."

"And, I must admit, I have become invested in these stories as well," Kurama stated. "I wouldn't mind hearing about it."

Kuwabara looked over at Yukina, who nodded at him reassuringly and he steeled himself.

"I had one last night," he revealed reluctantly. "Urameshi and Kurama went to this other world."

Hiei's expression hardened at that. Perhaps they were going to see Mukuro. She was undoubtedly displeased with his blunder and he wondered what she might have to say.

"They said they were going to get some answers. And, get this, the person they were going to see was that self-absorbed weirdo, Suzuka."

"Oh, the item collector!" Botan exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "Of course."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, go on..." she insisted.

"It's kinda hazy, but they were gonna ask him about some necklace."

Hiei's eyes widened a fraction. The necklace the oaf was referring to was most likely the pendant that transported them to this dimension. If Kurama and Yusuke were gathering information on it, then they were on the right track.

"Did Suzuka happen to know anything useful?" Botan questioned.

"I'm not sure. I didn't go with them."

The ferry-girl let out a groan of frustration, prompting the others to fix her with varying degrees of confused looks.

"I'm...sorry?" Kuwabara apologized, sounding unsure of himself as he regarded her.

"Oh, no I'm sorry. I... I just hate it when these dreams of yours end in cliffhangers!" she explained.

"Well, it's nice to have someone actually care," Kuwabara noted.

She smiled.

"You're a lot more special than you know, Kuwabara."

He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Gee, thanks, Botan."

Hiei ignored the silly display as he internalized the sudden bit of news. There was a decent chance that Suzuka might actually be of use. He had a penchant for getting his hands on rare and valuable tools and would most likely know of an item that possessed the ability to travel through dimensions. Things were looking up and it would only be a matter of time until he returned where he belonged.

The ferry-girl sent a beaming smile his way, clearly thrilled over the prospect of returning home and he nodded at her.

This was good news, of course, but he couldn't make any sense of why his chest suddenly felt so heavy with regret.

* * *

Botan felt much better after a shower and a change of clothes. It was a long day, but she was still wide-awake and buzzing with energy. She was seated under the thick quilt, looking out the window at the splash of stars in the sky when she heard the water turn off from the bathroom connecting to their room. Hiei would be here shortly and although she felt a little nervous about sharing a bed with him after everything that had happened, she knew that she needed to play it cool. Hiei was clearly doing a fabulous job forgetting all about it and there was no reason why she couldn't do the same.

Besides, there were much more important things to dwell on, like the fact that she had received some positive news about her own reality. She knew that Yusuke and the others would find a way to bring them back home. It was just a matter of time now.

Hiei stepped back into the bedroom, clad in nothing but a fluffy white towel. The sight was more than enough to fluster her, but she pretended otherwise as she stared back at him.

"Your clothes are in the middle drawer," she notified, careful to keep her sights set on his face and not the smooth planes of muscles that tensed and flexed as he moved.

He nodded as he pulled the wooden drawer, rummaging through it for some time before his features twisted into a look of disgust.

"What is the meaning of this?" he asked tightly.

"Hm?"

He pulled out a pair of white pair of pajamas and Botan barely managed to suppress the laughter that bubbled up as she forced her expression to remain as neutral as possible. After all of the commotion that had occurred, she completely forgot about her little prank.

"Well?" Hiei pressed impatiently, gripping the clothing tighter than necessary.

She bit down on her lip to keep from laughing as she eyes the long-sleeved, button-down top and matching pants. The white fabric had little black cartoon dragons printed all over it in a comical and childish manner and it was completely contrary to Hiei's simplistic style.

"You don't like them?" she asked, blinking up at him innocently.

He glared at her, his entire posture tight with tension as he answered.

"Does it look like I do?"

Botan's amusement was barely contained to begin with, but when his frown deepened, she doubled over in laughter. She couldn't help it - the serious look on his face coupled with the ridiculous outfit in his hands was just too much for her to bear.

"Woman," he growled out, dropping the clothes to the floor. "I'm not wearing those."

"I'm sorry Hiei," she said between giggles. "I packed your real sleepwear with mine in the top drawer. It was worth it to see the look on your face, though."

He grunted as he rifled through her belongings, tossing and throwing things everywhere in his search for his clothes.

"Hey!" she admonished, throwing off the quilts to join him. "There's no need to make a mess-"

"-There's nothing of mine here," he interrupted, his voice tight with anger.

"M-maybe you just didn't look hard enough," she reasoned, pulling the drawer back open in order to peruse through the ransacked contents. Hiei's flannel should have been folded neatly somewhere beneath her own clothes, but it was mysteriously absent. She decided to search through the entire dresser, her movements becoming a little hurried and frantic now. "It should have been right here..." she muttered to herself, all traces of laughter gone now.

"I don't like these silly little games, ferry-girl," he said, tapping his foot against the hardwood floor impatiently.

"I'm not kidding this time!" she replied, looking over at him worriedly. "They should have been right here... in fact, I remember looking at exactly what I was going to pack for you when... when..."

 _Oh._

"What is it?" he asked.

"I was just about to pack your sleepwear, when I received a call from Hinageshi. I got so distracted that I forgot all about it!" she revealed with a sheepish laugh.

His eyes narrowed into a glare and she recoiled, just barely managing to maintain the nervous smile on her face.

"So, you see, it was a complete and honest mistake," she concluded.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"It was!" she insisted. "But at least we're sharing a room and no one else will see you. And if they somehow happen to spot you, you can tell them that it's all my fault for being such a scatter-brain."

"That won't be necessary," he dismissed, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked away.

"It won't?"

"I'll just sleep naked," he replied casually.

"You can't!"

"Why not?"

"It's bad enough that you hardly wear underwear. There's no way you're sleeping naked while I have to share a bed with you!" she exclaimed.

"You do realize this is all your fault," Hiei accused sharply. "If you had packed something normal, we wouldn't be in this mess to begin with."

"Yes, I know," she pouted, pushing her index fingers against each other guiltily.

"So, you have no say in the matter of how I choose to sleep. You've left me with no other option."

"But I didn't mean to! It was a mistake!"

"I don't care, woman. I'm not wearing that monstrosity," he maintained, glaring at the offensive pajamas.

"But surely you aren't going to just walk around naked and defile my poor eyes are you?"

"I can and I will."

"Hiei!"

"Would you two keep it down in there? Some of us are trying to sleep," Yusuke complained from his bedroom.

"Sorry!" she called out, before turning to the raven-haired man and lowering her voice. "And I really am sorry to you, Hiei. It wasn't my intention at all. It was supposed to be a harmless joke."

"Hn."

"But the material is soft and comfy and the colors suit you," she tried as she picked the pajamas up from the floor and held them in front of him.

He averted his gaze stubbornly.

"I don't care."

"It even has little dragons on it. I thought you'd appreciate that!"

"There is nothing to appreciate about my strongest attack being reduced to a weak, ridiculous looking caricature of itself."

"It's cute!"

"It's embarrassing and completely unbecoming of a warrior."

"I didn't know you cared so much about fashion or about other people's opinions of you, Hiei," she commented slyly, going for a different approach.

"I don't," he maintained stiffly.

"Then what's the problem?"

He paused for a moment, trapped by his pride. The pajamas were most definitely an insult to him on every level, but if he admitted that, he would also be admitting that he actually cared about how he looked and the way others perceived him. He was caught in a dilemma and she couin his features as he mulled it over.

"Hiei?" she temped. "Surely you must be cold standing there like that. You'll feel much better once you put some clothes on and go to bed."

His jaw clenched, teeth gritted as he spoke.

"Give it to me."

If there was one thing she could count on, it was Hiei's pride. She held back her grin as she passed the pajamas over to him and watched him storm off to the bathroom.

"Another crisis averted," she said to herself as she began to clean up the mess Hiei had made in the midst of his frantic searching. She was just about finished when the door opened to reveal the fire-demon. He was donned in his gag pajamas, though he had neglected to button the top up all the way. As he closed the door behind him, he had the cutest little pout of his face and his hair was still in disarray from the shower he had just taken.

"You look absolutely adorable," she gushed unthinkingly.

Hiei was sorely unimpressed, the furrow in his brow and the scowl on his mouth deepening.

"I-I mean... you look so manly and dignified," she amended.

"...You're not doing me any favors, so stop it," he admonished as he extinguished the light and making himself comfortable on his preferred side of the mattress.

"But I'm only speaking the truth, Hiei!" she continued, moving a bit closer towards the bed blindly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. "You're especially rugged and handsome tonight!"

"Ferry-girl-"

"-Seriously! The colors looked great on you and it all fits you so well."

"Woman-"

"-Why, it was practically made for you!"

"Botan," he ground out, the way he had taken to doing when they were alone.

"Yes?" she answered sweetly.

"Shut up and come to bed," he invited.

"Okay!"

As she slipped beneath the covers and Hiei's warmth radiated beside her, all felt right in the world again. All of her uncertainties melted away into the quiet night, her previous reservations seeming so small and silly now that she and Hiei had fallen back into their normal groove. She wasn't sure why she was worried in the first place. Hiei was her friend first and foremost and a silly little kiss or a few unearthly thoughts wouldn't change that.

"Good night, Hiei," she said as she shut her eyes.

"Sleep well, woman."

* * *

The following morning, Hiei woke up to an empty bed. The ferry-girl was an early riser, so he wasn't surprised, and he let out a quiet yawn as he threw the covers off and stepped into the bathroom. He did his business quick enough and contemplated changing out of the pajamas before shrugging. It really was every bit as comfortable as the woman made them out to be and he did not much care about what anyone else would think or say. As he descended the staircase and passed by the various family pictures strewn all over the walls, he could smell the distinct scent of human world food and his empty stomach growled. He had intended to follow the scent, but was sidetracked as he heard the gravelly sound of Kuwabara's coarse voice conversing with Yukina. He cocked a brow as he peered down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. He knew that he, the ferry-girl, the detective and his woman were on the second floor and that Yukina, the oaf, his sister and the fox were staying downstairs, but Hiei had been so preoccupied with his own issues that he failed to stop and think of what that meant for Yukina. He thought that Kuwabara had more sense and honor than that, but apparently he had given the fool too much credit.

"Hiei?" Botan whispered from beside him quietly.

He wasn't even sure of when she had appeared or how she had approached him so quietly, but he supposed that did not matter right now.

"Why are you skulking around here and why do you have that murderous look on your face?" she asked.

He was going to answer, but the sound of the idiot chuckling behind the close door caught his attention once more. He was going to kill the psychic, once and for all.

"Hiei, what's wrong?" Botan pressed.

"He slept in her room last night," he stated lowly.

"Huh?"

"That clumsy, uncouth fool slept in Yukina's room."

Amethyst eyes widened as they glanced down the hallway.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, mouth pressed into a grim line.

"Maybe it's not as bad as you're thinking..." Botan tried.

"I understand that your brain runs on nothing but optimism and sunshine, but this can't be twisted. There is no bright side to anything that has happened in this accursed cabin," Hiei spat.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," she retorted with a dismissive wave of her hand. " _We_ sleep in the same bed all the time! And if you can be a perfect gentleman, then surely Kuwabara can, too!"

He stopped glaring at the door long enough to raise a brow at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Uh-er, I just meant…" she stammered.

Hiei shook his head, cutting her off.

"Never mind," he said, taking a determined step forward. "I have more important matters to attend to now."

"Hiei!" Botan yelped, grabbing a hold of his arm.

It wasn't enough to really hinder him, but he stopped regardless.

"What?"

"Let's not cause a scene, okay?" she pleaded nervously. "Let's just think calmly and rationally-"

"I am thinking calmly and rationally," he replied, eyes darkened by rage. "I've already gone through several efficient ways of killing him."

"Stop it!" she admonished. "Kuwabara doesn't deserve any of your misguided animosity. He's a perfectly decent and good guy!"

"Your definition of that word is extremely skewered. He is an awkward boor with the intelligence and attention span of fly."

"He's a sensitive guy with a heart of gold!"

"He's an idiot who still holds on to immature interests and naïve beliefs."

"I think that's part of his charm," Botan defended. "More importantly, he treats Yukina right. Why, he practically worships the ground she walks on. What more could you possibly want?"

"…"

"It could be worse," she noted as she released him. "Yukina could have fallen for someone crass like Yusuke, or vain like Shishiwakamaru or a complete drunk like Chuu!"

Hiei grimaced at the thought. There were far worse people she could have chosen, but that did not mean that Kuwabara was a remotely acceptable mate.

"Let's just be thankful a sweet guy who is completely devoted to her is the worst of your worries, okay?" Botan soothed, her expression softening as she regarded him with a smile.

He opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted when the door suddenly swung open to reveal the psychic. They both froze as Kuwabara spotted them, narrowed eyes blinking at them in confusion.

"Hey guys," he said awkwardly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Hiei snarled.

"Huh?"

"Why were you in there?" he continued.

"I was just talking with Yukina," he answered. "Is that not allowed or something, shorty?"

Hiei growled.

"Of course you're allowed," Botan interjected, laughing sheepishly before Hiei could get a word in. "What a silly question."

Kuwabara eyed the two of them suspiciously.

"Were you guys spying on us?" he frowned.

"Spying? We would never! We were just… and then you… so we-" Botan faltered unintelligibly.

"Never mind… Urameshi said you guys were being freaky last night and I don't want to hear about it. I think I'm just gonna go back to my room now," he announced with a shake of his head. "Would you guys mind stepping aside, you're kind of blocking the way."

Botan straightened up, surprise etched into her features.

"Did you say you were going back to your room?" she questioned.

"Yeah."

"You mean you didn't stay here with Yukina?" she inquired.

Kuwabara's entire face went red as a lovesick grin reached his lips.

"S-share a room with my lovely princess?" he echoed.

"I think you broke him, Botan," Shizuru commented, passing them by and slipping inside the bedroom.

The scent of smoke and nicotine followed after her and remained long after she closed the door on them. Hiei could hear the two women speaking on the other side, while Kuwabara continued to mutter nonsensical words to himself.

"Ah, so it appears Shizuru and Yukina shared a room while Kuwabara stayed with Kurama," Botan concluded, turning to Hiei with a victorious wink. "Guess there was nothing for you to worry about after all!"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and averted his gaze to the side. Perhaps he had overreacted, just a bit. He glared at the love-stricken man for no real reason and then trudged towards the kitchen, Botan trailing dutifully behind him. As he took a seat by the counter, he was unsurprised to find Yusuke whipping up an array of human foods that Hiei had long since become accustomed to. His stomach growled and his mouth watered at the sight; the detective was undoubtedly the best cook out of all of them, though he would never admit that aloud.

"Nice pj's, Hiei," Yusuke observed.

His eyes narrowed, a curse already sharp on his tongue in retaliation when Botan interrupted them.

"Aren't they?" she grinned as she sidled next to him. "It took a lot of convincing to get him to wear it, but it was worth it."

"A lot of convincing, eh?" Yusuke repeated, wiggling his eyebrows knowingly. "Is that why you two were making such a ruckus last night?"

"Yes," Botan replied, not at all understanding what the detective was getting at. "Sorry about that..."

"Hey, no need to apologize. At least one of us is getting it in."

"Getting what in?" she asked.

"Hiei's di-"

Botan's eyes widened as Hiei cut in.

"Ignore him," he advised. "He's being a pervert."

"Really? I'm being a pervert?" Yusuke returned, waving a spatula at them. "You guys were the one getting it on-"

"Yusuke!" Botan exclaimed, hands flying to her flushed cheeks. "How dare you accuse us of doing that... and right across the way from you, no less!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he recalled.

The ferry-girl seemed to have malfunctioned in that moment, her face turning an interesting shade of red as she muttered out incoherent bits of words.

"In fact, I remember the time you two thought it would be a good idea to have a little quickie in my apartment!" Yusuke accused.

"That... er..."

"What's wrong?" he pressed on. "Cat got your tongue, Botan?"

"Oh, just hush up," she huffed.

Yusuke simply chuckled to himself as he turned back to the fire, flipping a pancake on one stove and scrambling eggs on another.

As Botan stewed beside him, the others began making their way to the kitchen, undoubtedly enticed by the scent of breakfast. Yusuke prepared a spread of dishes and their meal had gone by in a clatter of cutlery and noise. Hiei ignored the uncouth and disgraceful way that Kuwabara and Yusuke wolfed down their breakfast and tuned out the women and Kurama as they conversed with each other. It was an uneventful morning - one that Hiei was grateful for - but that all ended when the oaf brought up their next activity.

"You were gonna lead us on that hike today, right?" Kuwabara asked.

"If you're all still interested," Kurama replied.

"Oh yes, that would be splendid!" Botan said, excitement swimming through her bright eyes. "We've been cooped in all night, the outdoors will certainly do us good."

Hiei silently agreed. A little fresh air would surely clear his head and rid his mind of the madness that had occurred yesterday. Everyone retreated to their rooms to change into more weather appropriate clothing and, somehow, Hiei had ended up being one of the first people ready to leave. The ferry-girl was probably fixing her hair, and he was sure that the fox and detective were probably up to the same thing, he thought with a snort. All traces of his amusement vanished when he spotted Kuwabara waiting at the foot of the stairs. The fire-demon resisted the urge to frown, keeping his expression neutral as he awaited the rest of the humans.

Of all the people he was forced to be alone with, Kuwabara was certainly the worst. The psychic did have his uses though, and in the midst of Hiei's impatience and boredom, he wondered if the detective and the fox had any luck meeting with Suzuka back in his reality. Perhaps Kuwabara knew something. He lifted his gaze to meet the other man, hardening his expression as he forced himself to interact with the psychic.

"Tell me about your latest dream," Hiei ordered suddenly, dispelling the silence between them.

"Huh?"

Kuwabara was caught completely off guard and Hiei couldn't blame him. It was unnatural for him to take interest in anything the oaf did, and he did not make it a habit to strike up conversations like this either. But it couldn't be helped. He needed answers and Kuwabara was his only link to his reality.

"You heard me," Hiei maintained, keeping his expression level.

"But why?"

"My reasons are none of your business."

"You sure have been acting weird, lately," Kuwabara grumbled through a distrustful look.

"Just do as I say. The sooner you do, the sooner we can stop conversing."

"Fine," Kuwabara relented with a huff. "I don't see why you'd care, but I was in some dusty old library, reading all these books on other dimensions and locating different realities."

"You?"

"Yes me."

"Was the fox there?"

"Kurama? No, it was just me," Kuwabara said. "Oh yeah, Koenma was there, too! But he was all toddler-sized. It was freaky."

Hiei rolled his eyes irritably.

"What's your problem, shorty?"

"You're sure you were the one in the archives?"

"Uh… yeah? Why do you look so angry about it?"

"Because you've got the attention span and brain size of a flea. You are the densest person I know and I cannot fathom why you were put in charge of research for something so critical."

"Hey! I'm really good at diving into material and figuring things out! If you only asked me about my dreams so you could insult me, then I'm not going to tell you the best part."

Hiei raised a brow.

"What are you talking about?"

"I found something important."

"And what was it?" he pressed impatiently.

"I dunno, I can't really remember," he answered with a half shrug. "I just have a feeling it was significant somehow."

"Hn. I doubt that," Hiei returned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What do you care? It was only a dream."

"I don't care," Hiei replied. "I was bored and needed something laughable to chase it away."

"Bite my ankles, shorty!" Kuwabara yelled as he stomped away.

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"Do you always have to tease him like that?" Yukina asked as she joined him.

Hiei shoved his hands in his pockets as he regarded her.

"He makes it too easy not to."

"Oh, brother," she chided with a smile. "I don't know what I'm going to do with the two of you."

Despite her slightly exasperated words, there was nothing but happiness in her ruby eyes. And he supposed that was really all that mattered in the end.

* * *

Botan took in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. It was much crisper and cleaner than the city and carried that earthy scent of the woods that she had always loved. The leaves were dyed in various shades of gold, red and orange and the sun shone down brightly from the gaps in the trees. It was a beautiful autumn day, the chill in the air a mere precursor to the colder weather that was approaching with the coming season. She glanced down at Yukina, who had neglected a jacket in favor of a flimsy throw over, and raised a brow.

"Yukina, aren't you freezing?" Botan asked as she hugged herself.

"I'm fine," she replied easily. "The cold doesn't affect me much."

Botan supposed that was to be expected, considering the Yukina she knew was an ice maiden and had thrived in icier temperatures than this. She glimpsed over at Hiei, who was also under dressed compared to the rest of the. It seemed as though no matter which version of themselves they were, neither Yukina nor Hiei seemed to be inconvenienced by extreme temperatures.

"If you get cold, I'll warm you up, my love!" Kuwabara announced valiantly. "Just stick close to me."

Crimson eyes narrowed and pinned the orange-haired man with a look that promised pain and Kuwabara forcefully cleared his throat.

"For safety reasons, too, of course," he amended sheepishly. "Who knows if bears or wolves might attack."

"I can assure you, nothing of the sort will happen," Kurama stated from the front of the group. "This is a relatively safe area."

"I've heard all sorts of stories about these woods," Kuwabara insisted. "I wouldn't be surprised a deranged hillbilly came around, looking for fresh blood or something."

"Sounds like you've been watching one too many bad horror movies, Kazuma," Shizuru noted.

"For real," Yusuke supported. "Not everything is some big, unexplained mystery."

"Maybe you need to open your eyes and pay attention to what's around you," Kuwabara argued back.

"If I started looking into every little thing like you did, I'd be a total nutcase who was afraid of my own shadow," Yusuke replied. "Like the time you stupidly thought my apartment building was haunted and refused to come over until it was exorcised."

"It was haunted! Sis, back me up!"

"I did sense a sinister presence there," Shizuru pointed out.

"Well, I don't believe in that ESP shit, not for one second."

"Yeah, that's why you slept with all the lights on until Kuwabara deemed it uninhabited..." Keiko muttered.

Yusuke floundered, failing to find a decent excuse as they all laughed at his expense. Botan smiled at the scene, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. This happened on occasion. They referenced moments and memories that were completely foreign to her. She wished she could partake in the conversation, but it was hard to do so when she wasn't the one who resided in their recollections. For the first time in a long time, she began to miss her reality; her home. She missed her friends. The ones that she fought beside, laughed with and worried with; the ones that colored her memories and filled in the empty spaces of her heart.

She hung back until she was side by side with Hiei, who appeared to be unbothered by it all. His arms were crossed over his chest, mouth pressed into a neutral line and eyes staring off ahead. She managed to catch his attention, his gaze snapping onto hers as if he could sense her attentions.

"I have no idea what they're talking about anymore," she said.

"I never have any idea of what they're talking about," Hiei admitted.

Botan giggled.

Leaves crunched under their feet as they proceeded down the path in silence. Although the mood had changed considerably from the warm and lively laughter up ahead, Botan found that she didn't mind it at all.

Usually she would be in the thick of it all while Hiei stood on the outskirts of their group begrudgingly. She loved being amongst the lively crew, whether she was with the boys or chatting with the girls. They were so full of life and energy and they fit together so perfectly. She was always at ease with them, finding it easy to enjoy their crazy antics, their rowdiness and their familiarity. But being with Hiei was entirely different. He was quiet and sure. Steady and strong. More often than not, she would be doing most of the talking, while he listened and participated when he deemed it necessary. Despite the sparsity of his words, she always enjoyed hearing what he had to say and learning whatever she could about the guarded man.

It wasn't all smooth sailing with the temperamental fire demon, though. He could be an absolute menace at times with his fiery temper and stubborn personality, but she had become fond of that side of him, too.

The breeze drifted in, ruffling through her clothes and hair and cutting off her thoughts.

"It's a little cold, isn't it?" she noted, rubbing her hands together.

Hiei glanced over at her.

"You should have worn something warmer."

"Well, I-"

The words died on her throat when she felt Hiei take a hold of her hand. Warmth immediately flooded all of her, starting from the point of contact and spreading outwards. He continued onwards, as if the two of them holding hands made absolute sense, forcing her to follow on autopilot. She knew that he normally detested all sorts of skin-ship, so the fact that he had initiated it for her sake was a little shocking and heart warming and confusing all at once. Her heart fluttered again, each beat echoing a sentiment that she refused to acknowledge.

"You should take better care of yourself," Hiei grumbled lowly. "Even your hands are cold as ice."

Botan blinked in surprise, not at all expecting him to comment on their current situation. She smiled at the note of concern hidden beneath the irritation in his tone and shook her head.

"They're always like this. But you know what they say: cold hands, warm heart!"

"Hn."

"And if cold hands are enough to yield a warm heart, then just imagine what having warm hands like yours must mean..." she continued.

Hiei only stared back at her in confusion, mouth slanting downwards a fraction.

"It means you must have the warmest heart," she concluded.

The grip on her hand slackened just a bit.

"That's not the way that phrasing was intended," he replied sternly.

Botan shrugged.

"Well, that's the way I want to take it."

"You're always saying something strange, woman."

She hummed in agreement, not bothering to contradict him. As they continued down the path in a comfortable and familiar silence, her thoughts strayed to their reality. Koenma was probably stressing over a large stack of paperwork, while Jorge faithfully stood by his side and attempted to calm him down. She hoped Hinageshi was doing well with her studies and that Ayame wasn't having a difficult time with all of her duties. She wondered if Yukina had mastered her latest and greatest hobby of crocheting, or if Shizuru had gotten that big promotion, yet. So much must have happened back home and she was absent for all of it, she realized wistfully.

"I miss everyone," Botan confessed.

"They're all here."

She glanced up at the familiar group of people and shook her head.

"I miss _our_ friends, who are all back home in _our_ world. It's not the same."

"You heard the oaf, it's only a matter of time until the fox and the others determine how to bring us back."

She nodded, looking down at their joined hands with a smile.

"That's true. Besides, at least I'm not completely alone. I've always got you."

"..."

Hiei didn't answer, but reassuring way he had tightened his hold on her hand was more telling than words could ever be.

* * *

Later that night, they had insisted on making a bonfire and sitting around it pointlessly. As Hiei watched glowing flames and listened to the wood crackling beneath it, he did not mind much. His stomach was full from the meal Yusuke had prepared, the fire provided enough warmth from the cold night air and the bright stars above reminded him of home.

"We should take a drink," Yusuke suggested, pulling out a bottle of whiskey that he had hidden behind him.

Hiei smirked. Perhaps the detective had a few good ideas after all.

"Really, Yusuke?" Keiko chided.

"It's cold as shit and we need something to warm us up."

"I'm in," Kuwabara said, reaching for the bottle.

"Ah, ah, ah," Yusuke said, holding it just beyond his reach. "I was thinking we could make it a little fun."

"Not this again," Botan muttered, slapping a hand to her forehead.

"Don't be like that, Botan, I was just thinking we could play an innocent little round of _Never Have I Ever_."

"What is that?" she asked, curious as ever.

"It's real simple. First player starts off with a completely true 'never have I ever' statement. If you've ever done it, you're obligated to take a drink. If you haven't, then you're safe. You can get wild and ask all sorts of prying questions, so it makes for some pretty juicy stories."

"...That actually sounds sort of fun!" she admitted.

"I don't mind playing a round," Kurama said.

"Yeah, me either," Kuwabara added.

Hiei rolled his eyes. Of course the ferry-girl and the fox would take interest in such an intrusive game and the oaf was just too stupid to see when he was falling right into a trap.

"What about the rest of you?" Yusuke tempted.

"I say we all play!" Botan said, turning her eyes to the women with a pout. "Especially you three. You all left me on my own last time and that wasn't very nice."

"…I suppose we could," Shizuru relented. "It would only be fair."

Yukina and Keiko nodded in agreement.

"Now, all that's left is shorty," Kuwabara grumbled, behind a large hand. "And we all know he's the worst when it comes to participating-"

"One round," Hiei interrupted. "That is all."

He ignored the shocked looks he received from the others as he crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't need some silly little game to force him to drink and he didn't much want to hear the others pestering him into joining in on a game, either, but he realized the path of least resistance was probably his best option. Besides, he didn't really need to participate. All he needed to do was drink when he saw someone else drinking. Simple enough.

Yusuke had just finished pouring and passing out the shots, and Hiei sat his down on the dirt below him.

"I'll kick us off," Yusuke began.

The detective turned mischievous eyes towards them, his expression far more sinister under the cover of night and the shadows that fell over his face as the flames danced in front of him.

"Never have I ever kissed another member of this group," he said.

Hiei reached for his glass, only pausing when Botan spoke up.

"Wait a minute," she started, a puzzled frown on her face. "I thought the person asking the question was supposed to make a truthful statement?"

"They are…" Yusuke answered.

"Well, you've obviously kissed Keiko and you laid one on Kuwabara yesterday," she pointed out. "Shouldn't you ask another question?"

"I just don't think it's fair that you all get to drink and I don't, so I'm sticking by my question," Yusuke defended stubbornly.

"That's-"

"Don't waste your breath, Botan. There's no talking sense into him," Keiko said with a knowing shake of her head.

Yusuke grinned.

"Come on people," he urged, motioning over to their shot glasses. "If you've locked lips with another person around the fire, then take a drink."

Hiei watched as the ferry-girl pouted, her pink lips jutting downwards and capturing all of his attention. Their kiss ended much too quickly to have left such a deep impression on him and he was ashamed to admit that he even now, he was itching to try it again. He picked the shot glass up and downed it quickly, enjoying the way the drink burned down his throat and pushed away the memories of their kiss. The others followed shortly after him, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, and he was dismayed to see even Yukina taking a drink. He didn't want to think about his sister and the oaf being affectionate.

Kuwabara set his drink down and raised a brow, staring across the way with a puzzled look.

"Who've you been kissing, Kurama?" he asked curiously.

Hiei glanced at the redhead, who was not at all bothered by all of the attention suddenly placed on him. Out of the four women seated around him, only two were his concern. If the fox had somehow gotten his cunning hands on either of them, there would be hell to pay.

"I didn't know you had gotten up close and personal with one of the girls," Keiko mentioned.

"Very peculiar," Yusuke said suspiciously, filling his glass and passing the bottle around for the others to do the same.

"I always thought Botan and Kurama might end up together – before she and shorty happened, that is," Kuwabara confessed as he rubbed at his chin. "Don't tell me you guys had some kinda secret affair and never told anyone!"

Hiei glared at Kurama, the idea of the fox having his way with the ferry-girl more unsettling than he cared to admit. His fists clenched around the neck of the bottle as he passed it off to Kurama a little more forcefully than necessary.

"It's not like that!" Botan denied, shaking her head. "Besides, Shizuru took a drink, too, and none of you even thought to question her!"

Kuwabara's eyes widened in disbelief as he turned towards his sister.

"You didn't..."

"It was a long time ago," Shizuru revealed calmly.

Hiei let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding as the tension that had ran through his body uncoiled.

"Kurama, you fox!" Yusuke cheered, slapping him on the back.

"You dog!" Kuwabara insulted, his face going red with anger. "How could you – with my sister!"

Hiei smirked. Now the oaf finally understood what it felt like to have an unfit suitor chasing after his relative. He never really believed in karma – not until now.

"Relax, Kazuma. There's no need to get all protective on me," Shizuru discouraged, taking a drag of her cigarette and dispelling a trail of smoke. "I can take of myself, you know."

"But-"

"If it makes you feel any better, it was brief and short-lived," Kurama explained. "We decided we were much better suited as friends."

"Oh, you two… always so secretive!" Botan admonished with a wave of her hand and a smile. "I never would have guessed you had a whirlwind romance."

"It wasn't anything like that... I assure you," Kurama said.

"Sure it wasn't," Botan teased, unable to keep that look of amusement off of her face.

"Told you this game was fun," Yusuke grinned.

"It really is," Botan agreed.

"Why don't you give it a go, then?" Yusuke encouraged, setting the bottle down as it was finally passed back to him.

"Alright…" Botan said, eyes rolling upwards in thought. "Hm... let's see... never have I ever been arrested."

Yusuke and Hiei readily took their shots. Hiei expected it would turn out like this. The women were all straight laced and, Kuwabara had his own honor-code and, in this world, Kurama was never the legendary bandit, Youko. He refilled his glass, shifting his attention when he heard Botan let out a gasp. He followed her gaze to see that Kuwabara's sister and the fox had taken a drink as well.

"You two again?" Botan exclaimed.

"I was young and got caught up in this peaceful protesting that went wayward…" Shizuru explained casually.

"At least it was for a noble cause," Keiko noted.

Shizuru nodded.

"What about you, fox-boy?" Yusuke goaded.

Even Hiei was curious to hear the tale, crossing his arms over his chest as he listened intently.

"I was young and misguided," Kurama's admitted. "An old friend Kuroune and I would always challenge each other to committing grander acts of petty larceny. One day we were careless enough to get caught and that was the end of it."

Yusuke nodded, clearly impressed with the news.

"I always knew there was a badass lurking beneath that pretty-boy persona," he commended.

Hiei's mouth ticked upwards a fraction. It seemed as though Kurama couldn't keep his hands off of what didn't belong to him in any dimension. As they resumed the silly little pastime and passed the bottle around again, Hiei felt a strange sense of contentment running through him. Perhaps it was the alcohol working its magic and coursing through his veins, but it wasn't exactly a bad feeling.

The minutes ticked by, the moon rising higher in the sky as the night went on.

-x-

Later that night after they had washed the thick scent of campfire smoke off of themselves and settled into the bed, Hiei remained wide awake. Tomorrow, they would all head out, meaning he had successfully survived an entire weekend with the others. He didn't think it possible, but this reality had an annoying way of proving him wrong.

"Fuck..." he cursed, when Botan's foot slid against his in an attempt to fix her position. "Why are your feet so cold?"

"In case you haven't noticed, it's freezing in here. My whole entire body feels like an ice block!" she complained through gritted teeth.

"Then put on those ridiculously fuzzy socks that you love so much," he advised.

"I don't like sleeping with socks, Hiei! You know that!"

She continued to reposition herself, dragging the covers here and there in her attempt to chase the warmth. It was admittedly much colder than they had been used to at the apartment, but he had adjusted to it easily. He knew that the ferry-girl had a lower resistance to extreme temperatures, he just didn't realize it was this bad. He watched her curl into herself while shivering feebly and he sighed.

"Come here," he said finally.

"Huh?"

"Take my side of the bed."

"Oh, no, I couldn't."

Hiei reached an arm out and pulled her against him, silencing all further protest. This was no different from when he had held her hand earlier; it was simply a means to keep her warm. He tightened his hold in case she got the silly idea to move away, all the while willing his heart to stop racing so foolishly. Amethyst eyes met crimson, and he ignored the way her entire body tensed against his as the breath hitched in her throat. It was one thing to be this close while asleep, but to do it while he was very much awake and aware of the way she pressed against him was another story entirely.

"It would be troublesome if you got sick," he explained.

"...T-thank you."

"Hn."

It took a few moments of stifled silence until she finally relaxed against him, and a few more moments until her shivering died down entirely. He had never consciously fallen asleep with someone else like this. It should have been entirely revolting, but as Botan fully settled into this new position, he could not be bothered to care about much else.

He breathed in her scent and closed his eyes. The warmth of her body and the strangely comfortable feeling of having her in his arms had provided a sense of calm and peace that was quickly lulling him to sleep.

She snuggled into him suddenly and let out a contented hum of appreciation.

"I could get used to this," she murmured.

Alarmingly enough, so could he.

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Let me know your thoughts~


	17. Chapter 17

Thought I'd try to squeeze in an update before turkey day! Hope you all enjoy it and have a great Thanksgiving! :)

* * *

Botan threw her purse in the backseat and closed the door. She mercifully suggested that they take their leave earlier than the others, allowing Hiei to have some semblance of peace and quiet for the remainder of their weekend and he readily agreed. They had just finished saying their goodbye's and packing their belongings in the car, when Hiei extended his hand towards her. She blinked down at his upturned palm, a blush coloring her cheeks as she remembered the way he had taken her hand in his as they walked down the dirt path. She saw no reason why he would want to hold her hand now, and the thought of it was enough to quicken her heartbeat.

"Hiei, w-what are you-"

"Give me the keys," he said evenly.

The keys. Of course. She snapped out of her embarrassment quickly and shook her head.

"You drove here, so I should drive back. Fifty-fifty, remember?" she reminded him.

"That need not apply here," he stated as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his grey hoodie. "Especially when I'm sure that your driving skills leaves much to be desired."

Botan resisted the urge to pout at the insult and instead fixed him with a flippant look.

"Too bad," she said, twirling the key ring around her index finger. "You had your fun and now it's my turn. Let's see how you like being at the mercy of another driver."

"Woman-" he gritted.

Botan turned away from him before he could get another word in and then took up residence in the driver's seat. She expected Hiei to comply, but he remained firm in his spot, arms crossed tightly against his chest and posture rigid. Sighing, she started the car and rolled down the passenger's side window.

"Hi-ei," she whined, stretching out the last syllable of his name in her frustration.

He looked down at her with fire in his crimson eyes and a frown on his lips. Unyielding as always.

"Everyone will find it strange that you are being so difficult," she pointed out.

"I don't care about what they think."

"Well, you can't stand out there like a three year old having a temper tantrum. We'll never make it back at this rate."

"…"

"Don't tell me you're afraid," she taunted.

"I fear nothing."

"Then prove it, mister," she challenged, reaching over to push his door open.

There was a glint of frustration in his red eyes as he glared down at her, but Botan was unaffected. She held his gaze challengingly, determined to egg him on until either his resolve broke or his patience ran out. Eventually, her persistence paid off and she resisted to the urge to smile as he uncrossed his arms and dropped down in the passenger's seat. As he slammed the door closed and pulled his seat belt on with much more force than necessary, Botan took the liberty of adjusting the mirrors to her liking. She buckled up, placed her hands on the wheel and looked out at the open road ahead.

Botan had always enjoyed the feeling of flying through the skies with the wind whipping against her face and nothing but the endless sky stretched out in front of her. Driving would undoubtedly be much different, but she was eager to try it nonetheless.

She glanced over at Hiei with an excited smile.

"I think I'm all set. Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he muttered.

"Okay, then here we go!" she exclaimed, pressing her foot on the gas.

Botan had expected the vehicle to move forward, but for some strange reason the engine revved and the car stayed stationery.

"Come now…" she said, applying more gas and hoping that the car wasn't broken somehow. "It was working fine before…"

Hiei sighed, reaching a hand out to pull the gear down to drive. Botan had little to no time to lament over her carelessness as the car lurched forward and she was suddenly tasked with the responsibility of operating a vehicle much larger than her tiny oar. She kept her eyes on the road, careful not to step too heavily on the gas as she tested the car's maneuverability. The road was long and empty, giving her enough time to get a feel for the car and its mechanics. Thankfully, it didn't seem all that complicated and, unlike flying her oar, she didn't even have to expend any energy to do it.

She lowered her window, allowing the crisp and cool air inside as she whizzed by the golden colored trees that flanked the road. With the wind in her hair, the winding road ahead and the power of the car at her fingertips, she felt free again.

"This is great!" she exclaimed with a giggle. "I don't know what you were so worried about, Hiei. Driving's easy!"

"You've only just begun, there is plenty of time and margin for error," he pointed out.

Her expression fell as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"That's not a nice thing to say."

"I'm not a nice person."

"I've noticed-"

"Eyes on the road," he instructed.

Her gaze snapped back towards the path ahead and she huffed, her grip tightening on the steering wheel.

"It wouldn't kill you to put a little faith in me, you know," she stated. "I am capable of doing some things right."

"I'm well aware."

Amethyst eyes widened in surprise.

"Do you mean that?"

"I don't say anything I don't mean."

"Oh, Hiei-"

"I'm trusting you not to kill us both, woman," he interrupted lowly. "Don't make me regret this."

Her grip on the wheel slackened a bit as his words settled in. Hiei hardly ever voiced his trust in others and she never would have imagined that he would extend it towards her. She glanced over at him, surprised to see how at ease he was. He had pushed his seat back, arms crossed loosely over his chest and eyes closed. Despite all his posturing and complaining, he really did have faith in her. Warmth blossomed in her chest as a slow smile stretched out on her pink lips.

"You can count on me," she assured.

"Hn."

Hiei was mostly silent for the remainder of the drive, but that was fine with her. She turned the radio on to a fun and upbeat station and focused on the task at hand. Yusuke had set up the directions on her phone and so long as she followed the prompts that were voiced out every so often, she remained on the right track. She found that she quite liked driving; it was calming, in a strange way, and it cleared her mind of its worries and troubles. She wondered if Hiei had felt the same way when he was behind the wheel, but she doubted it. His main goal at the time was breaking the speed limit and forcing her into cardiac arrest. She shook her head at the memory as she glanced at the man. His eyes were open now; elbow resting on the car door and face resting in his palm. She wondered what he was thinking about as he silently stared out into the distance like that. Those red eyes reflected in the window were always so guarded and hard to read, but he at least appeared to be in peace.

Shrugging to herself, she turned her eyes back to the road and concentrated on getting them back home.

-x-

It was a little past three by the time she pulled into the parking garage and navigated her way back into their designated parking space.

"I'm impressed," Hiei commented as she cut the engine. "You managed to bring us back in one piece."

"And, unlike a certain speed demon, I did it without breaking any traffic laws, too," she added with a playful wink.

"Hn."

They made quick work of unloading their things and carrying it all back into the building and proceeded towards the elevator bank in a comfortable and easy silence. Although they had only been gone for a few days, the fluorescent lights and familiar sights of the building was comforting to her in the same way that Genkai's temple or her little room back home in the Spirit World was. She smiled as they entered apartment 4C and was once again welcomed by the soft shades of brown and cream that made up the furniture and walls. Everything was just as they left it: her fluffy blanket draped over the couch, Hiei's latest list from Mukuro crumpled up into a ball on the table and a deck of cards from their last game night with the twins beside it. Their bedroom door was left ajar, and she could see a small sliver of the unmade bed, along with an outfit she had left behind in her haste to leave on time.

As much fun as it was at the cabin, it felt nice to return to their cozy apartment. It was like their own little world; one that no one else would ever know of or understand.

Botan deposited her bags on the floor and reached into her pocket for her phone. She had promised Keiko that she would call and let her know that they made it back okay, but as she patted around the various pockets of her jeans and sweater, she realized that she was without the device.

"Oh poo, I must have forgotten my cell in the car," she muttered to herself. She looked over at Hiei sheepishly. "I'll be right back."

He nodded and continued on to the bedroom as she exited the apartment. Botan quickly backtracked to the parking garage and collected her phone from the front seat, before returning to the fourth floor. She would have made her way back into the apartment, but she stopped in her tracks when she noticed Maki trying to calm a fussy Shinji. She never knew the two in her own reality, but she had taken quite a liking to them here.

"Hey strangers," Botan greeted as she approached them with a cheery smile. She hadn't seen much of Maki lately and she had to admit that the other woman was looking a little worse for wear. "How have you two been?"

"Oh, we're just fine," the woman replied through a tired smile that didn't quite reach her brown eyes.

"You look downright exhausted to me," Botan blurted out, her concern overriding her sense of tactfulness in that moment.

Maki's eyes widened. She floundered at Botan's bluntness for a second or two, before she nodded in resignation.

"I am a little worn out," she admitted with a sigh. "Between taking care of this little guy, working part time and maintaining the home, I haven't had any time for myself or my husband."

"That's a shame…"

"I can't remember the last time we had any time for ourselves…" Maki said, a wistful note in her tone.

Botan nodded in understanding. It couldn't be easy for a young mother with many responsibilities. She wished she could help in some way, when the thought suddenly occurred to her.

"Hey! Why don't you leave Shinji with me so you can have some free time?" Botan suggested.

"What… I couldn't possibly-"

"Nonsense… we're friends aren't we?" Botan asked warmly.

"Y-yes," she answered. "Of course we are..."

"And Shinji will have tons of fun over at Apartment 4C," Botan said, bending down to smile at the boy. "Won't you sweetie?"

The boy giggled and clapped his hands together.

"See?" Botan said, pointing to the delighted baby. "He agrees!"

"Botan-"

"-Please, Maki, I insist."

She bit her bottom lip in contemplation, before glancing back up at Botan.

"I have to admit, your offer is very tempting..."

"Then say yes!"

"…Alright," she agreed, smiling slowly. "A few hours couldn't hurt."

"That's the spirit!" Botan encouraged.

Maki smiled, her whole expression lighting up warmly. "Thank you, dear. I really appreciate this."

Botan nodded.

"Let me get some of his things and then I'll bring him over, okay?" Maki said.

"Sure! You know where to find me," Botan replied.

She watched Maki walk towards the direction of her apartment with a satisfied grin. It felt good to be able to help out and she was sure that few hours would make a world of difference to the young parents. Botan didn't really have any experience with children, but Shinji was such a happy boy and she was sure that she could manage for a short while. She was a few paces away from the door when her phone started to ring.

"Hello?"

" _Hey, did you guys make it back, yet?"_ Keiko inquired.

"Yes, I would have hung back longer, but this was all I could manage to do with Hiei."

" _It's fine, you really didn't miss much."_

"I suppose the timing was right, though - I just ran into my neighbor and she looked like she could use some help."

" _Did she?"_

"Yes, so I offered to watch little Shinji for her."

" _...Are you sure that's a good idea?"_ Keiko asked.

"What do you mean?"

 _"You know how Hiei feels about children…"_

"…I..." she trailed off. She had never considered it before.

" _I know you've wanted kids since forever, but if all those arguments you've had mean anything, it's clear to see that Hiei's just not built that way. If you suddenly bring a baby over, he may take it the wrong way."_

The bluette frowned. The relationship between this reality's Hiei and Botan seemed so strong and sturdy, but even they had their issues. It must have been hard on both of them to feel so differently on such an important topic.

" _Botan?"_

She shook her head, dispelling her sudden uncertainty.

"It's just a few hours of babysitting. If Hiei can't deal with that, then it's too bad for him," she decided. "Besides, I really didn't do it to prove a point or anything. Maki truly looked like she could use the help."

" _I understand,"_ Keiko replied. _"You've always been the type to jump in first and think of the consequences later, after all."_

"Guilty as charged..."

Keiko laughed. _"Well, let me know how it all goes."_

"I will!"

The connection ended and she pocketed her phone. She took a deep breath as she entered the apartment and prepared herself to face the fire-demon. He was nowhere to be found in the living room or kitchen, but the bags she had left in the middle of the living room were gone.

She found him in their bedroom, cross-legged on the bed with a frown on his lips as he looked down at his phone.

"Something the matter?" she asked.

"It's Haru," Hiei replied, still staring down at the message. "He deems it necessary to tell me every little detail of his life."

Botan smiled.

"That's what friends do!" she said. "They talk about all sorts of things, from the trivial, little things, to the important, heavy topics."

"Ridiculous," he scoffed.

"And they help out when they can… especially when they see a friend in need… even if they're completely out of their element and know nothing about children or babysitting-"

Hiei finally lifted his gaze to view her, eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"You have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The guilty one that indicates you've done something that will become bothersome for me," he explained.

"I for one am appalled that you would even think that way, Hiei!" she countered, hands on her hips. "I've been nothing but helpful and kind to you!"

He remained wholly unconvinced, folding his arms over his chest as he continued to scrutinize her.

"Just get on with it, woman," he ordered. "You're a terrible liar and we haven't got all day."

Her proud posture deflated instantly as her lips pulled into a pout. After weeks of living together, he really could read her like a book.

"I told Maki that I would watch Shinji," she revealed quietly as she poked her index fingers together nervously.

"Who?"

"You know... our neighbor with the baby?"

Hiei's expression hardened and Botan continued hurriedly.

"I only offered because she was really exhausted and hadn't had any time for herself of for husband," she defended.

Hiei's expression was unreadable and his silence was more worrying than anything else.

"Is that okay?" she pressed.

"You were the one who offered to help," he answered dismissively. "I don't see how this concerns me."

"You have a point there..." she acknowledged, a bit taken aback by his calm countenance. He did not seem particularly bothered by the fact that a baby would be in their apartment for the next few hours, but Keiko's words were still swirling in her mind. The other Hiei seemed adamant in his stance of not wanting children. Keiko had mentioned it was a point of contention in their counterparts' relationship and Botan wondered if the Hiei she knew felt the same.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he questioned.

She blinked several times, his voice breaking her out of her thoughts.

"It's just that... Keiko mentioned something about you not wanting to have children."

His brow crinkled for a brief moment, the only signs of his discomfort as it straightened out again.

"It's true. I don't," he confirmed.

"Don't want to or never considered it?"

"Both. The last thing I'd want is a child."

"I see..."

"You clearly don't agree with that sentiment," he observed.

"Well, I always thought it would be nice to have a family of my own," she confessed, eyes downcast. "I'll never have the opportunity to in our world — not as a ferry-girl, at least, so I thought at least one version of myself might have the life I could only dream about."

"I won't make excuses for the other Hiei," he stared firmly. "His reasons are his own, and I don't blame him."

"I know that," she replied sullenly. "It's just sad, is all. I can't imagine how this world's Botan feels."

"It's not the end of the world," he reasoned. "Besides, nothing is tying her to him. She always has the option of leaving him and finding someone more suitable."

"How could you say a horrible thing like that?" Botan asked, flabbergasted that he thought so little of her counterpart.

"Don't look at me like that, woman, I'm only saying what's most logically inevitable," he justified.

"Well that's a load of poppycock," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "They're in love. She wouldn't just leave him like that!"

"How would you know?" he challenged.

"Because if this was real - if we were really together - I know that I wouldn't want to end things over one disagreement. I would be torn over it, but I wouldn't want to leave."

His gaze lowered, an indiscernible emotion contained within.

"What about you?" she asked.

"What about me?" he echoed.

"I mean... if you were in your counterpart's place, would you just give up on everything they built together? Would it be so easy for you to just leave?"

Hiei's lips drew into a form line, brow furrowed as he contemplated her words. The thought of it all left a horrible pit in her stomach and she instantly regretted asking him something so private and personal. She steeled herself for what was about to come, keeping her eyes on him evenly.

"No," he admitted lowly. "If things were to end, it wouldn't be because of me."

Botan's brows lifted, eyes rounded in surprise.

"Really?"

He nodded silently and Botan smiled to herself as she took in the gravity of those words. She shouldn't have been surprised by his response; Hiei had always been fiercely loyal and determined to see things through. That's just the type of man that he was. It was comforting to know that he was the type to stick around, even if things were rocky.

She took a seat beside him, smoothening out the wrinkles in the comforter as she regarded him.

"...So, why exactly are you averse to the idea of children?" she asked cautiously.

She could almost feel him tense and close up in the silence that followed.

"..."

"I'm not judging, I just want to understand things from your perspective is all."

He stared straight ahead, a resigned looking meeting his features as he spoke.

"You know of my past and the life I've lead. A family was never something I was destined to have."

Botan frowned, heart falling upon hearing those words.

"I thought you didn't believe in destiny," she pointed out. "You've always forged your own path."

"In this particular case, I have to agree with what the ice maidens foretold about me being a solitary creature. It suits my nature and I have no qualms about it."

Hiei didn't appear to be dismayed over it, but she wondered why it pierced her chest with a sharpness that felt so real.

"If, by some grave mistake, I was burdened with a child," he began lowly. "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"I suppose instincts would kick in and you'd face it head on, like you do with everything else."

"..."

"You always have a way of surprising us in the end, so I'm sure fatherhood would be no different," she supported.

Crimson eyes rested on hers, full of emotion that she could not discern. He seemed to be searching her gaze for something that only he could determine, and, in the end, he shook his head dismissively.

"You're always saying something strange, ferry-girl," he commented, that stoic look back in his eyes as he moved off of the bed.

Botan watched him go, suppressing the urge to trail after him. She didn't think she said anything offensive, but Hiei was a tight-lipped man with many layers to him and she had no way of knowing what exactly was on his mind. It was probably for the best that she left him alone for now, and she hoped that he would work out whatever issues were plaguing him in due time.

Her phone chimed and she saw Maki's name appear on the screen. She would have to worry about Hiei later, she decided. Right now, she had a baby to entertain!

* * *

Hiei stood underneath the shower head, relishing the feeling of the hot water as it melted the tension away from his body.

He should not have said all those things to the ferry-girl. He wished he hadn't, but she had slipped past his guard somehow and he found himself spilling all sorts of private matters onto her listening ears. It was pathetic and unbecoming of him, and now his weakness had dredged up sentiments and memories better left forgotten.

He thought back to the one conversation with Mukuro that he could not forget.

It was the night she had told him that she was considering making him her heir. Hiei wasn't particularly interested in the title, but he was surprised that she had chosen him. She explained that she would never have a family or children of her own and Hiei was the closest thing to family she had. Such social constructs never interested her in the least bit and when Hiei wholeheartedly agreed, she looked at him with that damn discerning eye of hers and proceeded to tell him the things that he was too blinded to admit.

According to Mukuro, he craved the love and acceptance that had been snatched away from him at birth. He closed himself off because as much as he wanted it, he also feared it and the rejection that could possibly follow. She deduced that his time with the Spirit Detective team and with Yukina could not be erased; it had done something irreversible to him and changed him at his core. That was why she was convinced that if anyone could do things the conventional way, it would be him. He scoffed at the idea and maintained the notion that a family was simply not in his future. Mukuro did not seem all that convinced by his posturing and, try as he might, he could not erase that damned moment from his mind.

Since then, she never pressed the issue and his opinion on the matter remained unchanging. He was not the lovable sort; he knew that very well. And he was even less equipped to deal with fatherhood. He had no experience, he was not an emotional man and he did not have the skills required to care for and raise another being.

The other Hiei was an idiot, though. He had a woman who loved him, despite all that he was, and the chance to be more than just the unloved and loveless shell of a man that the ice maidens thought him to be. He had the opportunity for so much more, and he had foolishly denied himself. Hiei wondered why that was, before shaking his head. It didn't matter, he supposed with a frown. What his counterpart chose to do was none of his concern. He was more than satisfied with the life he lived in his world and he did not need much else.

He turned the water off and toweled himself dry, before stepping into the empty bedroom. A grating noise reached his ears, which could only mean that the child was here. He threw on a clean pair of pants and the first shirt he saw and winced as the ruckus got louder. The sound was nearly as unbearable as that infernal whistle she had used on him all those years ago. He wretched the door open and the first thing he saw was the ferry-girl. Her ponytail hung limply and her sweater was rumpled as she held the crying, yellow-clad monstrosity in her arms. She looked nearly as frantic and panicked as the child was and Hiei shook his head. He knew things would turn out like this; that damned bleeding heart of hers was so troublesome.

"Oh Hiei," she breathed out in relief, her voice barely audible over the sound of the boy's ear-piercing cries. "Thank goodness... you came just in time!"

"I only came to find the source of that vile noise and kill it," he recited, crossing his arms over his chest.

Botan sent withering look his way as she adjusted the position of the screaming brat.

"Very funny, Hiei, but this is no time for jokes or for a stroll down memory lane!" she admonished. "He won't stop crying and I don't know what to do anymore!"

"This is exactly why you shouldn't have offered to watch the child," he accused.

She frowned, looking down at the child desperately as he continued to fuss and squirm within her arms.

"Please calm down, Shinji," she begged. "It's okay, it's only me."

He screeched even louder and Botan's features pinched and twisted miserably. She tried uttering a few more calming phrases to the boy, but it was to no avail. Shinji clearly did not want to be here any more than Hiei wanted him here.

"Maybe you'll have better luck," she hoped, turning her gaze to him.

He shook his head warningly.

"Woman, don't-"

But she refused to listen as she pushed the boy against his chest and released him. Hiei had no choice but to uncross his arms to grab a hold of the child and his stomach lurched the moment the boy latched onto him. He swallowed thickly, ready to return the fussy infant back into the ferry-girl's arms, when the most peculiar thing happened: the unbearable crying ceased entirely. A few seconds of tense silence immersed the apartment until Shinji smiled and cooed contentedly.

Botan's brows rose high as she blinked at the sight.

"Well, would you look at that…" she said, hands settled on her hips. "You've pacified him."

Hiei peered down at the cheery boy, before lifting his gaze to meet hers in mild confusion.

"I didn't do anything."

"You didn't have to, I think your presence soothes him."

An uneasy dread rose in his chest, cold and uncomfortable and prickling at the edges of his senses the longer he allowed the child to remain within his grasp. He didn't know the first thing about babies and he didn't like the way this one was looking up at him with such innocent eyes. He was the last one the child should have been comforted by.

"Take him back," Hiei urged, holding the boy towards her.

"Aw, but he likes you," Botan noted through a smile.

"I don't care."

"And he's finally quiet, too!" she added.

"I said I don't care about any of that."

"But-"

"Woman, if you don't take him right now, I'll drop him," he threatened.

"You wouldn't dare."

He wouldn't.

Humans were fragile creatures, even more so during infancy. He might have been a merciless killer, but even he had his limits.

Shinji looked up at him through wide hazel eyes and Hiei swallowed thickly.

He wasn't sentimental - not by any means - but as he held the tiny weight of the child in his hands, he had to wonder how depraved a soul had to be to harm a defenseless child. The ice maidens had condemned him to a most certain death for things he could not control and even the bandits he had misjudged as family were only using him for his stone. He was the farthest from _good_ a person could get and even he would not stoop so low.

Shinji giggled and pawed at him, returning Hiei to the present. His chest tightened uncomfortably as he looked down at the boy and he had to avert his gaze.

"Take him back," he ordered tightly, holding the baby at arm's length. "Now."

"Fine," Botan said with a weak nod as she stepped towards him. Her voice was thinned by uncertainty as she continued, "I'm sure he'll be okay now that you've calmed him down."

The boy gripped onto Hiei's red shirt stubbornly, but Botan was able to peel him away. The moment he settled in her arms, though, he resumed his wailing.

"I don't think he likes me very much," she lamented, expression falling hopelessly.

"You are the one who said you would take care of him and now you have to deal with the consequences," he replied uncaringly.

"But I thought babies were all smiles and laughter. This one hates me!"

"Too bad."

"Oh, please Hiei," she cried almost desperately. "I don't know what to do!"

"Neither do I. I'm a warrior, not a caretaker."

"But he clearly likes you," she reasoned as rubbed the boy's back soothingly.

Shinji continued to scream loudly and Hiei pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache began to stir. Though the boy's face had turned red with exertion, he had no intentions of ceasing his useless crying. Hiei briefly considered shutting himself away in the bedroom, but the infernal high-pitched cries would penetrate the thin walls no matter where he was. His frown deepened as he watched Botan reposition the child on her hip and attempt to pacify him with the random toys scattered around. The boy was unconcerned with all of it and, try as she might, nothing worked. His jaw ticked in irritation. There was really only one way to put them all out of their misery, so he stomped over to the ferry-girl begrudgingly.

"Hiei?" she questioned.

He held a hand out, motioning for Botan pass the boy to him.

"Give him to me."

She nodded, taking an eager step towards him and passing the boy off to him in relief. Shinji's cries died the moment he was transferred into Hiei's hands and the silence that stretched over the apartment was almost worth the discomfiture of holding the boy in his arms.

"It's a miracle," Botan marveled. "You're the baby whisperer!"

He rolled his eyes and moved to the couch with the child, not at all comforted or satisfied with such a useless title. As he sunk down into the plush cushion, he found himself stiffening. He had no idea what to do now, but Shinji seemed content to leaning backwards onto Hiei and let out what sounded like a relaxed sigh. He kept the boy in place with one hand and concentrated on flicking through the channels on the television with the other. He did not want to think about the fragile weight resting on him or the fond way the ferry-girl was smiling at the scene, so he tuned it all out to the best of his ability.

He had been in life or death situations and hadn't felt a shred of anxiety, and yet, sitting in the safety of the apartment with nothing but a baby in his hands caused his palms to go sweaty and a lance of worry in his chest. He was completely out of his element and he didn't like feeling inexperienced.

Shinji squirmed a bit, making himself more comfortable and diverting Hiei's attention. He stared down at the child with a frown as Shinji giggled.

"Quiet," Hiei ordered.

The boy babbled something indiscernible.

He raised a brow.

"Hi-ei!" he said elatedly.

"What?"

"Hiei!" he said again.

He sighed. He didn't understand what was so funny or why the boy was smiling so much. He must have had no survival instincts, because the last place the child should have been feeling safe and happy was in his arms.

He pushed the thought out of his mind and mentally counted the minutes as they passed by. He had no idea when the child's mother would come to collect him, but he hoped it was sooner rather than later. As he focused on the mind-numbing program on the television and ignored the child's prattling, Botan had taken up residence in the kitchen and started lunch. All was calm and quiet, until an absolutely foul scent reached his nose. He grimaced and then glared down at the child, before glancing over his shoulder.

"Woman," he called out.

"Yes?"

"The boy stinks."

"He probably needs to be changed," she noted. "His diapers and wipes are in the bag near the table."

"I'm not changing him."

"But I'm in the middle of something," she said, motioning to the vegetables on the cutting board.

"If I'm the one that has to monitor him all day, then you should take care of the clean up duties."

Her smile fell as she wiped her hands on her apron.

"Oh, alright," she agreed.

The moment Shinji was transferred into Botan's embrace, he let out a sharp cry.

"Just a moment, sweetie," Botan reassured nervously. "You'll return to your precious Hiei soon enough."

But the boy continued to fuss, making it hard for Botan to do much of anything. Hiei could hear the two of them struggling from inside of the bedroom and he was unsurprised when she eventually called for him in exasperation.

As he joined them in the bedroom, Shinji calmed down a bit. He reached his pudgy arms out towards Hiei, but he could only stare down at the codependent child without much of a reaction. Shinji continued to coo and reach for Hiei, so the fire-demon instinctively uncurled his index finger from his balled up fist and positioned it in front of the boy. Shinji enclosed his entire fist around it happily, his mood settling into one of serenity.

"Thanks," Botan said, smiling at him warmly.

Hiei simply stood there unblinkingly as the ferry-girl worked on changing the boy's diaper. Her task had become much easier now that the child was pacified. He frowned down at Shinji. It was a mystery as to why his presence comforted the child to this extent, but he did not want to spend any time trying to work his brain around it. Botan let out a forlorn sigh from beside him

"I wish I could hold him without making him cry..." she lamented.

"So do I," he agreed bitterly.

Her expression turned wistful, much like it did during their earlier conversation and he almost felt pity for the woman. He had no idea why the child had taken a liking to him and not her. He was dangerous and had no qualms with killing those who got in his way. She was warm and open. Friendly and kind. Shinji should have responded much more favorably to her than to him, leading Hiei to believe that there must have been something wrong with the boy.

"Will you bring him back outside?" Botan asked. "It's just about time for him to eat."

Hiei begrudgingly collected the child in his arms and returned to the couch. The ferry-girl joined them shortly after and spoon-fed the him some green, mushy substance. Hiei doubted that it was appetizing, but the boy had eaten it gratefully.

After that, Botan had tried to make herself scarce. She was convinced that just the sight of her would disrupt Shinji's good mood and for the better part an hour, Hiei had only seen glimpses of her as she cooked and worked on unpacking their belongings from their recent getaway. Hiei was becoming fed up with the way she tiptoed around the apartment and decided to do something about it.

"Botan," he called. He knew that using her name would surely catch her off guard.

"Yes?" A shock of blue hair peeked out from the bedroom. "Did you need something?"

He nodded wordlessly and she approached him with a questioning frown. When she was close enough, he stood up and deposited the child in her arms in one swift motion, much like the way she had done to him earlier. Her eyes widened in panic as Shinji began to wail.

"Hiei, wait… I-I can't," she exclaimed over the child's weeping.

"You have to," he said as he walked past her and towards the bedroom.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Bathroom," he replied flatly.

He didn't have to look at her to know that her worried eyes were fixed on his form.

"W-well, hurry back!" she urged.

Hiei grunted as he retreated towards the bedroom. Both she and the child needed to learn to make do with each other, because Hiei had no intentions of playing nanny for the rest of the evening. He was the slightest bit curious to see what she would do if left on her own, so he paused at the threshold of their door.

Botan had taken a seat on the couch and set the boy on her lap. She began bouncing her leg in an attempt to entertain the child, but it did not appear to be working.

"Isn't this fun?" she asked weakly.

He wailed harder and she stopped all movement.

"Okay, okay, don't cry..."

But the boy didn't let up.

"Come on Shinji, I'm really not all that bad…"

She turned the child around, allowing him to view her. When she pulled a strange looking face intended to amuse him, Shinji's cry went up a pitch and Hiei cringed at the sound.

"Now I feel like crying," she sniffled.

The boy stopped all of a sudden, staring up at her in fascination. He blinked his big hazel eyes, tilted his head and then, without any rhyme or reason, he laughed. Botan's eyes widened in surprise and she let out a little relieved laugh as well.

"Does my misery amuse you, Shinji?" she asked, bopping his nose with her index finger playfully.

He giggled again and Botan's lips stretched into a wide grin.

"Well, I suppose it was worth it to see that smile of yours," she admitted fondly.

He babbled joyfully in response and Botan's expression continued to brighten. Hiei much preferred her like this as opposed to that miserably way she was dragging her feet around the place, though he wasn't sure why. As he stepped back into the living room, she turned to him excitedly.

"Look, he likes me, now!" she exclaimed in triumph.

"Good," Hiei huffed. "Now he will leave me be."

Botan hugged Shinji to her chest.

"He just needed to warm up to me is all…"

A strange sensation welled up in his chest as he watched the woman's overjoyed smile. He had intended to free himself from both her and the little menace, but he found himself taking up residence in the space beside her instead. The feeling spread when the boy latched onto his finger again. It was uncharacteristic of him, but he could not find it within himself to pull away.

"He-yay!" the child's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Hi-ei!"

"What?"

"Hiei!"

The raven-haired man growled in frustration as Botan chuckled.

"His vocabulary is limited," she told him. "But you should be honored that he learned your name so quickly."

Hiei rolled his eyes.

"I wish he hadn't."

She smiled knowingly, before regarding the boy in her lap.

"Shinji, can you say Botan?" she asked playfully. "Bo-tan?"

He only giggled in response.

"Well, I suppose there's no need to rush things," she relented with a shrug. "This is enough for now."

Shinji made a noise that almost sounded like he agreed as he settled into her embrace and played with a toy block that the ferry-girl had handed him. All was quiet for a while, until Botan spoke.

"We make a pretty good team," she noted gently, a wistful smile lingering on her lips. "It's almost a shame that our counterparts won't have this chance."

The sadness that colored her amethyst eyes bothered him more than he cared to admit and, once again, he found himself wondering why his counterpart didn't realize exactly what he had.

"For what it's worth, woman, that other Hiei is a fool," he stated.

"What?"

"Any child of ours would be the epitome of power and intelligence," he continued evenly.

She stared back at him wordlessly, as if she did not believe he had said those words.

"Do you mean that?" she eventually managed to ask.

"I do," he confirmed.

Tears welled up in her eyes and he thought she might cry for a moment, but she held it back. Her lashes fluttered as she blinked the tears away and sent him one of those soft smiles that messed with his insides.

"For the other Botan's sake, I hope the other you can figure that out someday," she said lightly.

He chose not to comment on that, instead wondering why he had said all of that sentimental drivel in the first place. It wasn't exactly a lie; he thought the words to be true, but he did not mean to voice his thoughts aloud. Perhaps the ferry-girl's bad habits were rubbing off on him. He glanced at her, surprised to see that she was still staring back at him, though her expression had turned curious as she tilted her head and viewed him through scrutinizing eyes.

"What?" he asked warily.

"I was just imagining what our child might look like."

He opened his mouth to tell her what a waste of time that would be, but she continued on before he had the chance to.

"He'd probably have your features, like those angular eyes and that wild hair…" she guessed. "But he'd have my coloring."

His brow furrowed, but he allowed her to continue out of some strange and uncharacteristic sense of curiosity.

"I think he'd be really smart and inquisitive, and blunt and chatty," she supposed. "And he'd look like you when he was serious… but he'd have my smile."

"..."

"I've always liked the name Kai, how about you?"

Hiei shook his head.

"It's far too similar to that menace Kaisei's name."

"Aw… but it would totally suit our little boy."

"He isn't real, woman."

Her expression fell.

"I know that! But you didn't have to burst my bubble, Hiei."

He averted his gaze with a scoff.

"I don't see why you would even entertain the idea of having a child with me in the first place," he grumbled.

"Well, we are in a serious relationship, aren't we?" she teased.

"You're letting all of this pretending get to your head."

"I know, I know," she admitted. "It's just nice to imagine sometimes."

His gaze met hers again.

"You're a strange woman."

She puffed her cheeks out and let out a soft huff in response.

"You should hope that our child doesn't inherit that peculiarity," he finished.

Her expression lit up once more, a smile stretched out over lips.

"Well, no matter how he turns out, one thing's for sure: I just know that he'd be the best."

"The best _what_?" Hiei asked.

"The best _everything_!" Botan answered.

He paused to consider the possibility for a brief moment. His strength and abilities coupled with her emotional depth and capacity would undoubtedly produce a noble and fierce warrior. Perhaps she had a point.

"Well, don't you agree?" she asked, nudging him lightly as Shinji clapped his hands at him.

"Hn, despite the many oddities and quirks of yours that he would inherit, I suppose he would," he concluded.

"That's more like it, Hiei!"

Shinji let out a happy exclamation as well and Hiei rolled his eyes at the both of them. Despite his show of irritation, he was completely at ease. A foreign warmth settled in his chest as the ferry-girl chattered on about their imaginary child while Shinji babbled more nonsensical syllables. It was all so silly and counterproductive, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant.

His gaze lingered on the ferry-girl.

It wasn't unpleasant at all.

* * *

Thank you for all the reviews and encouraging words. As always, you guys are truly the best.

Next time we've got more HB domestic goodness and the awards ceremony. I hope you're looking forward to it!


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for the reviews and such so far. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

"Good morning!"

Hiei glanced up from the case file he was reading to briefly regard his partner. The orange-haired man had strolled into the station with a box of pastries in one hand and a carrier filled with coffee in the other.

"How was your weekend getaway?" Haru asked as he plopped down into his seat.

"Pure torture," Hiei grumbled in response.

Haru grinned knowingly.

"Well, at least it's all over!"

"Hardly, there's still the matter of that bothersome awards ceremony that I'm reluctant to attend."

"Oh yeah!" Haru perked up considerably. "Speaking of, Ruka said she'd go with me! With me! Can you believe it?"

"Good for you," the raven-haired man replied dismissively as he flipped to the next page.

"I know you didn't really mean that, but I'm going to pretend that you did."

"Suit yourself."

"I will!" Haru said, taking a triumphant bite of his muffin and proceeding to talk with his mouth full. "So, Botan sent me a very interesting picture of you yesterday."

Hiei glanced up from the case file to regard Haru with a warning look.

"What are you talking about?"

Haru took a sip of his coffee before replying.

"The one of you and that little tyke!" he filled in.

Crimson eyes narrowed as Hiei glared at Haru. Of course the ferry-girl sent him pictures. Those two had remained in constant contact ever since their meeting at the bakery and Hiei wasn't sure if he liked how close those they had become. It was bad enough having to deal with them separately, but as a combined force, they were almost too much for him to bear.

"Delete those pictures and drop the subject," Hiei ordered. "I don't want to hear another word about it."

"Aw, don't be like that, Hiei!" Haru urged. "This is a good thing!"

"I fail to see how any of this could be a 'good thing'."

"You were all doom and gloom over the fact that Botan wanted kids, but I told you that you had nothing to worry about!" Haru stated. "You're one of the best people I know and any kid would be lucky to have you for a dad. That's why I'm sure that it'll all turn out just fine if and when you guys decided to have kids."

Hiei went silent; surprised to hear that Haru was so well versed in the more personal aspects of the other Hiei's life. His counterpart must have at least been considering having children if he had talked it through with Haru. Although the orange-haired man was a pest, he was very perceptive and shrewd when it came to emotions and the like. He would be the right person to turn to for these sorts of things.

Perhaps his counterpart wasn't as big of an idiot as he'd originally presumed if he was at least deliberating over the idea. The idea of a traditional family would never happen for Hiei – and rightfully so – but as far as he could see, his counterpart had no reason not to aim for those things. He lived a completely normal human life, with a woman who loved him and wanted to be with him. There was nothing but his own insecurities stopping him from having everything that the fire-demon couldn't.

"Hello!" Haru's voice cut into his thoughts. "Hiei, are you even listening to me?"

"I rarely do," he replied flatly.

"But I'm making a point here!"

"And I don't care to hear it," Hiei replied curtly, his tone leaving no room for arguments. "I'm in no mood."

"Fine, fine," Haru relented, settling back into his seat with a sigh. "What do you want to talk about then, your highness?"

Hiei closed the manila folder and slid it over to Haru's side of the desk.

"Work," he answered with an air of finality.

* * *

"Keiko told us all about your little babysitting foray yesterday," Shizuru started conversationally from across the lunch table. "How did that go?"

Botan stopped mid-chew, recalling the events from last night. She swallowed her mouthful of salad and fixed Shizuru with an embarrassed grin.

"Well, it was a complete and total disaster at first."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Shizuru began, brows drawn together in concern. "But I can't say I'm surprised, especially considering Hiei's indifference towards children."

"Actually… I was the one who had the most trouble," Botan revealed. "Shinji had taken to Hiei much more favorably than he had taken to me."

A look of surprise crossed the brunette's features, rounding her brows and widening her eyes a bit.

"Really?"

Botan nodded.

"It was the strangest thing: I had absolutely no luck with Shinji at all and the moment I left him with Hiei, his entire mood changed. Hiei was the only one capable of comforting him."

"That's… surprising."

"It sure was. But Hiei handled it all so well. In fact, by the end of the evening, I think he may have even developed a soft spot for little Shinji," she said, a fond smile warming her expression as she recalled how Hiei had opted to remain with them until Maki picked the toddler up. It was probably the closest thing she would ever have to experiencing having a family of her own and it was a memory that she would always cherish.

"Maybe there's hope for him yet," Shizuru noted.

"I think so, too."

A beat of silence fell between the two of them, the hum of outside conversations and the clattering of cutlery sounding out around them as the lunchtime traffic began to increase.

"So, how did you all spend the rest of the day at the cabin?" Botan asked.

"It went as you'd expect. Lots of squabbling between my baby brother and Yusuke with some calmer moments sprinkled in. At one point they nearly broke Kurama's mother's favorite vase… it was the closest I had ever seen to Kurama flying off of the handle."

"Oh my! What was that like?"

"Scary. He was still calm, but the coldness in his eyes and his tone was chilling. I'd never seen Kazuma and Yusuke get in line so quickly."

"Well that would have been a sight to see!"

"It was," Shizuru agreed absentmindedly, her brown eyes set elsewhere.

Botan turned in her seat to see what was so interesting and found her answer when she saw Sakyo approaching them with a group of executives. As he passed by their table, he paused to give them a nod of acknowledgement. Shizuru did not react much, but Botan's eyes lit up deviously as she leaned in closer to the table.

"So, what's going on with you and Mr. Handsome?" Botan inquired, the ends of her mouth curled into a curious smile.

"Nothing," the brunette replied, tight-lipped as ever.

"You don't really think I'm that gullible, do you?" Botan countered through a pout.

"Allow me to correct myself," Shizuru began calmly. "It's nothing that a chatterbox like you needs to be concerned with."

Botan let out a huff.

"One of these days I'll crack that cool exterior of yours and finally get in on the juicy details," she resolved.

"If you say so..."

* * *

It was an admittedly long day - especially with Haru going on and on about the awards ceremony - and Hiei was more than pleased to finally make it back home.

He paused in front of the door, eyes set upon the gold plated 4C sign.

He wasn't sure when he started thinking of the apartment as home. He didn't really attach much of a sentimental value to the word, but the place had become more familiar in his eyes. After a few weeks, he had even taken to considering it his. Strange how a little time and routine had shifted his usually unmovable perspective. Shaking his head, he retrieved his key and inserted it into the lock. As he entered the threshold, he expected to see the ferry-girl's bright expression greeting him as she had done so many times before when he came home late. Instead, the sight was soured by the two menaces that were seated on either side of her.

"Finally!" Kaisei groaned, taking a stand. "We were only waiting for you since forever!"

Botan sent him a slightly apologetic look, but he ignored it. He knew she was every bit as to blame for their presence as they themselves were. There was a pile of movies stacked on top of each other on the table and he frowned.

"I don't want any company," he stated.

"You never want any company," Fubuki noted lightly.

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at the girl. She simply hugged one of the pillows and smiled sweetly up at him in response, completely immune to his glare.

"Anyway, I brought your favorite," Kaisei announced, holding up a white plastic bag for Hiei to see. He dug around and then threw an item at him.

Hiei caught the mystery item instinctively and then stared down at it. It was a cylindrical tin of chips and he grimaced when he noticed that it was cinnamon-roll flavor. How disgusting.

"That's he newest and weirdest flavor," Kaisei grinned. "And there's more in the bag."

Botan stifled a giggle.

"Hiei sure is strange, isn't he?" she teased.

"You're the one who's head over heels for him," Kaisei pointed out jokingly.

"I suppose that's true," Botan replied with a mock gaap. "I must be strange as well!"

"Aw, don't listen to Sei," Fubuki defended. "You two are the cutest!"

"Why thank you!" Botan grinned.

"How girly," Kaisei commented with a roll of his blue eyes.

Fubuki threw a pillow at his head in response, before looking over at Hiei and Botan.

"Anyway, what should we watch tonight?" Fubuki asked, spreading out the array of DVD's on the table. "We brought a few options."

"Nothing," Hiei interrupted as he set the pack of chips down on the table decisively. "You two need to go back home."

"No way! This movie night was long over due," Kaisei reminded him as he leaned back on the couch and made himself comfortable.

"Hn. In that case you can count me out."

Strangely enough, the siblings' expressions fell in tandem as they stared up at him. If they were trying to appeal to his sentiments with those matching frowns, it wasn't working. He had absolutely no qualms with disappointing them.

Apparently, the ferry-girl felt otherwise.

"Don't be like that Hiei," Botan urged, looking up at him pleadingly. "Fubuki and Kaisei want you to stay."

"I think those brats only like to see me suffer," he corrected.

The two grinned and exchanged glances with each other before nodding and answering in unison, "That too!"

"Well, I say you should stop being such a grouch and keep up with the tradition!" Botan urged.

"And why would I care about something as base as tradition?"

"Because breaking it could bring you seven years of bad luck!" Botan informed, index finger raised in the air informatively.

"You just made that up," he accused.

"Seven years is a long time to be down and out on your luck, though. Are you sure you want to take that chance?" Fubuki joined in on the teasing with a mischievous glint in her brown eyes.

Hiei had never been the superstitious type, but seven years of this particular hell was more than he could stand.

"Come on, let's make the snacks," Kaisei offered, not bothering to wait for Hiei as he stood up and strolled towards the kitchen.

Hiei glared at the back of the boy's head stubbornly, only following after him because Botan motioned for him to do so. He toed off his shoes, shoved his hands in his pockets and wondered how his life had degraded into the pathetic display that he was suffering through now. The master of the jagan eye and the darkness flame reduced to following the whims of a ferry-girl and two human teens. It was almost laughable, in an ironic, self-depreciating kind of way.

Kaisei's back was turned to him as he put some popcorn in the microwave.

"We can't let the girls choose any sappy movies," the boy warned quietly. "I swear, ever since Fu grew some boobs she started acting so girly."

"In case you haven't noticed, she is a girl," Hiei replied flatly.

"Yeah, but you remember how much of a tomboy she used to be…"

Hiei remained silent as the popcorn popped in the background and the kitchen was filled with a buttery, rich scent. He didn't remember and quite frankly, he didn't care to.

"Fu only used to care about martial arts when we were kids, but nowadays it's all about boys and other girly stuff," Kaisei revealed with a sigh.

"That seems to be par the course for teenage girls," Hiei noted, recalling the undignified way Kurama's classmates had fawned over the fox in the past. "If you're lucky, it will only be a temporary phase."

"I hope so," Kaisei said, grinning at him hopefully.

Hiei averted his gaze. He wasn't in the habit of doling out advice or consoling words, but it came almost naturally easy to him just now. Perhaps he was getting soft and letting this world change him, but he quickly steeled himself and did what he did best: deflected.

"You shouldn't pretend that you're above it all, though," Hiei began.

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen the way you drool over the woman."

The boy blushed lightly, before rubbing at the back of his neck with a grin.

"Well duh. I've had a crush on her since I was eleven!"

"A little bold to be saying that in front of me, isn't it?" Hiei asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kaisei shrugged.

"You always say that I'm hardly any competition anyway…"

"That's because you aren't."

"Heh, whatever. Older women love younger guys."

Hiei's smug expression dropped at the boy's blatant and insufferable audacity. Yusuke had been just as impudent and cheeky around this age and Hiei had to wonder if all humans went through this phase.

Kaisei began to chuckle, eyes crinkled in mirth.

"Geez, I was just kidding," he laughed, pointing a finger at Hiei. "You should've seen the look on your face!"

Hiei growled, gaze narrowed icily,and Kaisei's laughter tapered off into a nervous chuckle. The microwave began to beep, so the boy quickly retrieved the bag of popcorn and all but ran out of the kitchen and away from Hiei's wrath. Hiei trailed after him with a frown, his irritation increased when he saw that Fubuki was already setting a movie up for them to watch. As Kaisei placed the bowl of popcorn and other snacks down on the table, Botan smiled at Hiei sympathetically, mouthing the words 'thank you' up at him as he took a seat beside her.

"Hey, I was going to sit there!" Kaisei complained.

"Too bad," Hiei replied, somewhat childishly as he loosened his tie and settled in.

The boy was forced to take up residence on the armchair next to them, the hint of a frown on his features. It was immature and juvenile, but the satisfaction brought about by Kaisei's discontent was well worth it. Fubuki reclaimed her spot on Botan's free side and Hiei crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He said he would join them, but he never said he would subject himself to a silly human movie.

...

...

...

Sometime later, Hiei awoke to the sound of stifled laughter. The Sato siblings both harbored a mixed looks of guilt and amusement on their faces, but his sleep-ridden mind was too preoccupied to care about their abnormal reaction.

"We should probably head out now!" Kaisei announced, quickly getting to his feet and motioning for Fubuki to follow suit with pointed look.

"Yeah, it's late," Fubuki agreed, barely stifling a snort.

Hiei frowned at them, not at all understanding why they were acting so strangely.

"You two have a good night!" Botan said, mirth sparkling in her eyes.

"Good night!" they returned in unison.

Hiei stood up in confusion, wondering why Botan was staring at him so peculiarly.

"What?" he bit out.

She shook her head, lips pursed together.

"It's nothing," she managed to get out.

He raised an eyebrow at her before deciding to let it go. Attempting to understand anything she did would surely lead to a headache. He stifled a yawn as he entered the bedroom. He only made it a few steps in, when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and what he saw froze him in his spot. His entire face seemed to be caked in some sort of substance a few shades lighter than his actual skin tone. To make matters worse, there was a revolting shade of pink dusted on his cheeks and a hideous fuchsia color on his lips and eyelids. He turned to Botan, who stood in the threshold of the door and now understood why everyone had such a peculiar reaction to his waking up.

"What the hell is this, woman?" he gritted, features twisted into a disgusted look as he motioned to the mess on his face.

"Well, I had all my makeup out – because I was trying to look for outfits and color schemes for the event on Friday – and Kaisei happened to see it. You were dead asleep… and one thing led to another," she explained hurriedly, eyes shifting nervously. "I told them that this was a horrible idea, but once they started, it was just too funny to stop them."

"I'm going to kill them," he declared, fist clenched in anger as he stomped towards her.

Botan stood in the doorway, hands raised in defense.

"It was all in good fun," she tried.

"I look like a poor man's excuse for a geisha."

She fell into peals of laughter, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, but that really is a lovely shade of pink on you, Hiei," Botan managed to get out.

He wiped a hand over his mouth viciously as he glared at her.

"This isn't funny, woman."

"But it really is."

He growled, turning away from the laughing woman and towards her vanity in order to assess the damage.

"I'm sorry, Hiei! But just be grateful for the fact that I didn't let them take any photographic evidence," she reasoned, her laughter dying down a bit as she joined him.

"You shouldn't have let them do anything in the first place," he accused as he tried to remove the makeup from his face, but only ended up smudging it all into a bigger mess.

"Here, let me help you," Botan offered once she had calmed down a bit.

"I don't need help," he denied stubbornly.

Botan set her hands on her hips and eyed him condescendingly.

"Have you ever tried removing makeup before, mister?" she questioned.

"You know that I haven't," he bit out, rubbing at his face roughly.

"Precisely why you should stop what you're doing, sit down and let the expert deal with this."

He glanced back at his reflection in the mirror, taking in the horrible mess of color on his face and on his hands, before begrudgingly lowering himself to sit at her vanity. He crossed his arms over his chest wordlessly and watched as she retrieved a facial wipe from a packet on her dresser.

"Alright, now just close your eyes and let me take care of everything," she instructed soothingly.

He grunted in response as he did what he was told. Botan began wiping at his face in soft motions, taking great care not to irritate his skin. She need not be so gentle, but he supposed that it was just in her nature.

"Did Haru tell you that Ruka agreed to go to the ceremony with him?" Botan asked conversationally.

"He told me a lot more than that, woman."

"Hm?"

"He said you showed him pictures of yesterday."

"Oh poo, he wasn't supposed to mention that!"

"And you weren't supposed to tell anyone at all, much less take a picture of it."

"I couldn't help it, you both just looked so adorable!"

His eye twitched at that.

"And then it was too precious of an image not to share!" she continued.

He wasn't particularly surprised by her actions. He had long since gotten used to that blabbermouth of hers and it did not bother him nearly as much as it should have.

"Just don't send it to anyone else," he instructed.

"Alright, I won't," she promised.

Silence fell over them for a few moments as she pulled out another wipe and continued removing the stubborn makeup from his face.

"Anyway, Haru was telling me about how fancy these ceremonies are," Botan spoke. "I've been trying to find the right outfit, but it's proving to be more difficult than I thought."

"What does it matter?"

"He also said that everyone can get quite gossip-y and judgmental. I may not be this world's Botan, but I at least want to make sure that I'm dressed the part. It would reflect badly on you otherwise."

"Their opinions matter little to me," he scoffed.

She paused in her ministrations.

"But-"

Hiei opened his eyes, staring up at her evenly.

"Trust me, your appearance is the least of your worries."

She blinked, a tint coloring her cheeks.

"Do you mean that?"

He nodded.

"It's that mouth of yours that precedes most of our problems," he clarified.

Her expression fell, cheeks flushed darker in anger as her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Hey!"

"You know it's true," he replied.

"Oh, you're the worst, Hiei!" she exclaimed indignantly as she tossed the used wipe at his face.

He swatted it away with ease, a lips slanted upwards into a smirk.

"I know."

* * *

The week had come and gone in the blink of an eye and Botan had yet to settle on the perfect outfit. Hiei still did not understand the significance of it all, even after Botan had explained that it was partly for his benefit, so she had given up on involving him in the process. He might not have cared for fashion and first impressions, but they were still important to her. She sighed as she threw on her fluffy robe and stepped out of the steamy bathroom, intent on scouring through the closet once more in the hopes that something jumped out at her.

Botan made it all of three steps before she paused in surprise. The first thing she noticed was the striking royal blue gown laid out on the bed. She approached it slowly, unable to believe her eyes. That dress certainly wasn't there before and when she looked around for an explanation, she found Hiei leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Hiei..." she breathed out. "Where did you find this?"

"It was in the back of your closet," Hiei informed.

"It's absolutely gorgeous..." she marveled, running her fingers over the soft material. It was a simple, sleeveless gown with a high-neck that was encased in beautiful rhinestones; elegant and perfect for the occasion.

"You like it?" he asked.

She nodded excitedly.

"I love it!"

"Good. Then wear it tonight and cease your fussing."

Botan smiled.

"Only because you asked so nicely, _dear_ ," she replied. She watched him shove his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants and lifted a questioning brow. "Have you picked out what you're going to wear, yet?"

He gave her a roll of his shoulders.

"It doesn't matter to me."

An excited smile stretched over her lips.

"I've actually got just the suit in mind!" she announced, before disappearing into his side of the closet. She rummaged through a few jackets and blazers until she found a blue suit that was nearly identical to the shade of her dress. Pulling it out with a wide grin, she held it out in front of her for him to see. "Tada! This beauty is well tailored and stylish. Perfect for the occasion and comfortable to boot."

He looked it over with a discerning eye, before accepting the suit with a nod.

"Best to keep things simple with a white dress shirt and a black tie," Botan noted, pulling those out as well and setting them on the bed. She took a moment to examine both outfits and nodded to herself. "We'll be the sharpest dressed couple there!"

"None of that matters to me. I'm more eager to get this night over with," Hiei stated, averting his gaze with a frown.

Botan smiled at the sulking fire-demon. She knew he was dreading this event, but she could not contain her excitement, especially now that she had such a stunning gown to wear.

"Just give me a few minutes and I'll be all set."

She retrieved her dress and her makeup bag and returned to the bathroom, allowing Hiei to suit up in the bedroom. The door closed behind her with a click and she let out a happy little squeal as she looked over the dress once more. It was absolutely beautiful and she thanked her lucky stars that Hiei had managed to find it. She wasted no time putting it on, before starting on her hair and makeup. In the end, she had settled on a little mascara and blush and tied her hair into a half ponytail. Her blue locks cascaded down her bare shoulders, the curled ends finishing her look off perfectly. She gave herself a look over in the mirror, satisfied with her appearance, before stepping back into the bedroom.

Hiei's eyes were on her instantly and she met his gaze with a bit of hesitance.

"What do you think?" she asked, motioning down to the dress.

Crimson eyes roved over her body slowly and appreciatively. His gaze snapped up to meet hers, eyes darkened with a look that was unfamiliar to her.

"I already told you, woman," he began. "Your appearance is the least of our worries."

Botan shook her head knowingly.

"You don't look too shabby yourself!" she observed.

He cut quite the figure in his suit, his muscular and athletic form showing well through the layers of clothing. He stood tall and confident, comfortable and sure, unlike the first time he was forced to wear a full suit. No matter how many days they had spent here, it was always a pleasant surprise to see Hiei donned in human clothing. She wanted to commit it to memory and the thought suddenly occurred to her.

"We should take a picture together," she voiced out loud.

Hiei's nose crinkled slightly, signaling his aversion to the idea.

"Why should we do a trivial thing like that?"

"Because we both look great and I think it's a moment worth memorializing!"

"Woman-"

"Oh, come on!" she said as she picked her phone up from her vanity. "Just one."

He frowned at her stubbornly as she regarded him with a pleading look.

"Please?"

Hiei sighed, his shoulders falling slightly.

"Make it quick," he mumbled, gaze averted to the side.

Botan's entire expression brightened as she nodded. She wasn't expecting for him to give in so easily, but she wasn't going to waste any time contemplating it. She quickly returned to his side and angled the phone's front camera to better accommodate the both of them.

"You can come a bit closer, Hiei, it's not as though we're strangers," she mentioned.

He made no attempt to move from his position and Botan pouted. There was an awkward gap between them and half of Hiei's form was cut off from the camera's view. She could have closed the distance between them, but if Hiei was unwilling to do something as little as that, then their pictures would surely show it. He needed to be the one to make a move, otherwise there would be no point.

"You won't be in the shot unless you come in close," she told him.

He grumbled something under his breath as he removed his hands from his pockets. Rather than taking a step towards her, he chose to slide an arm around her torso and pull her into his side. Despite the layers of clothes that separated them, she could still feel the heat radiating from the outline of his body and from his palm as it now rested against the small of her back.

"Close enough for you, woman?" he asked.

Botan swallowed thickly and nodded her head, not at all trusting her voice in that moment. Hiei's earthy scent mixed with the warmth of his body at her side and the press of his hand on her back was creating an effect that certainly was not good for her current state of mind. She was almost a hundred percent certain that Hiei knew what he was doing to her, but she was determined not to give him any satisfaction over it. She wanted her pictures and she was getting them. Taking in a deep breath to compose herself, Botan stared back at the camera with a smile and then proceeded to take a few shots. Hiei remained compliant the entire time, only letting go of her once she lowered the camera.

"All done!" she announced.

He removed himself from her side and treaded over to his nightstand to retrieve his wallet. He did not seem all that concerned with viewing the photos, but Botan decided that she would send them to him anyway. As she scrolled through the images with great interest, she couldn't help but notice how natural the two of them appeared to be. Hiei's expression had eased up from its tense reluctance, his mouth drawn into a pleasantly neutral line and his crimson eyes calm. She stood beside him, pink lips stretched into a wide smile and amethyst eyes beaming with joy.

They looked good together. Really good.

In fact, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought that she was staring back at a photo of their counterparts.

-x-

When they arrived at the hall, a boy not much older than Kaisei had offered to park their car. Hiei refused and Botan had to explain to him that it was a normal human custom before he finally relented and tossed the keys at the teenager. She apologized to the boy on Hiei's behalf and trailed after him sheepishly.

Several unfamiliar people greeted them as they relinquished their jackets to the coat check and made their way into the main hall. The venue was every bit as fancy and breathtaking as Haru said it would be. Cream-colored walls stretched from the hardwood floors up towards the high ceiling, where several chandeliers hung and glittered from. Round tables were spread out around the area, each decorated with the same white and gold tablecloth and adorned with an intricate flower centerpiece.

The sea of guests inhabiting the area was dressed to the nines, men looking sharp from head to toe and women draped in fine clothing and accessories. Everyone appeared to be in good spirits, some even a little too happy, as a drunken flush adorned their cheeks and lit up their eyes. Children ran around gleefully weaving past guests and playing amongst themselves, while the occasional teenager was spotted staring down at their phone or conversing with one another.

"This isn't so bad is it?" she asked Hiei.

"I see enough of these fools at the station. There is no need to see any more of them than necessary."

"Well, I think it's nice to get to know everyone on a more personal level like this," she countered. "Plus, Yusuke and Keiko should be around here somewhere. And I'm looking forward to meeting this world's Mukuro."

"She is every bit as insufferable as she is back home," Hiei revealed.

"If you say so, _honey_ ," she said as she laced her fingers through his.

Hiei did not stiffen or tense up like he used to. He simply closed his hand over hers and regarded her with a bored look.

"Don't expect me to use any of those silly names on you."

"Good call. If you did, it would certainly blow our cover," she teased.

The corner of his mouth edged upwards slightly as he looked away and Botan smiled at his reaction. It was becoming increasingly easier to fall into this routine of the loving and doting girlfriend and it no longer felt as forced or awkward as it used to be. The way her hand fit within his was both comforting and familiar and she found it to be grounding as they stepped further into the foray. Hiei allowed her to lead him through the mass of people and eventually she came upon Haru and Ruka.

"Well, you two certainly make a cute pair," Botan announced over the buzz of noise.

Haru turned around, a look of surprise in his green eyes as he faced them.

"Hey guys! I was wondering when you'd show!"

"Better late than never, right?" Botan replied sheepishly.

"Nah, you're right on time. Everyone's just mingling," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "You remember Ruka right?"

"Sure do," Botan replied, pushing aside past reservations to welcome her with a smile. "It's nice to see you again. I hope you're enjoying yourself so far."

"The company isn't so bad," the redhead answered, causing Haru to smile.

"I got us a table with Yusuke, Keiko and Mukuro," he informed, pointing over to the aforementioned spot in the distance.

Botan could see the couple bickering over something or the other and she shook her head fondly. Off to their left, Mukuro was engaged in conversation with a tall, dark-haired man. She could not make out his face from this angle, but she felt Hiei's grip on her hand tighten slightly as he spoke.

"What is Yomi doing over there?" he questioned.

Haru's expression fell miserably as he folded his arms over his chest.

"We had one extra seat and he just invited himself to it. I couldn't exactly say anything about it."

Botan looked between the two men in confusion.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked. She had always found Yomi to be a little hard to read, but he seemed like a pleasant and polite person overall. Plus, he was an ally of Kurama's and he couldn't be all that bad if their friend trusted him.

"Yomi and Mukuro used to be a thing, remember?" Haru reminded her with a shudder. "I just hope they don't fall back into their old ways..."

Hiei looked particularly revolted by the idea as well and Botan couldn't help but find their dilemma amusing. It was sort of cute that they were both so protective of their superior.

"Mukuro's a big girl, she can handle herself," Ruka advised, amusement playing in her wine colored eyes as she drew Haru's attention away from the scene.

"I agree. She looks like she has control over the situation. You boys shouldn't worry over it too much," Botan supported.

Hiei's grip lessened a bit and she was pleased to see the tightness receding from his features.

"You're both right. I guess there's not much we can do about it, anyway," Haru relented with a shrug. "Besides, I planned on having a good time tonight and it'd be a shame to waste the advantages of an open bar."

"That's the spirit!" Botan encouraged.

"Allow us to fetch you ladies some drinks," Haru offered as he clapped a hand over Hiei's shoulder. "C'mon bud."

Botan released Hiei's hand as Haru dragged him towards the small crowd that had gathered near the bar. She giggled at the sight of them squabbling, before turning to Ruka. The woman's ruby gaze had lingered on Haru's for just a bit too long and Botan could see something akin to fondness ghosting over her features.

"Haru's a great guy, isn't he?" Botan began casually.

Ruka's turned to meet her slowly.

"He's different," she replied ambiguously.

"How so?"

"He's… a genuinely good guy," she replied cautiously. "This is new to me and I never know what to expect with someone like him."

"I think the unpredictability is half the fun," Botan winked.

"You would know."

"Huh?"

"Hiei isn't exactly an open book," she answered plainly. "Nor is he predictable."

"He certainly isn't," Botan agreed. "But there's something appealing about that enigmatic character of his. I suppose it's that same sort of curiosity that has Haru trying to get to know you so well."

"And what happens when that curiosity of his runs dry?"

Botan's expression softened. Ruka was understandably worried about what might occur once her mysterious allure faded and Haru saw who she was at her core. It was a logical concern and for the first time, the ferry-girl felt as though she understood the other woman just a bit better.

"Between us girls, I don't think you have much to worry about. From what I can tell, Haru very much likes what he's found," she revealed reassuringly.

Ruka's expression remained as composed and unreadable as ever, save for the slight upwards shift of her rouged lips. A comfortable silence enveloped them as they awaited the return of their dates and before long, Botan spotted the two of them making their way back to the floor.

"An amaretto sour for my partner in crime," Haru announced as he motioned for Hiei to hand Botan her green drink.

"Thanks!" she grinned, cupping her hands around the small glass.

He winked and then turned to Ruka with a flourish.

"And a glass of Pinot Noir for my fair lady."

The redhead accepted the wine glass with a nod, her smile deepening a bit as she took his arm and led her to their table. As she and Hiei followed suit, Botan was glad to see that he looked considerably less tense. His grip around his glass of cinnamon whiskey was relaxed, as was his gait and posture.

As Botan kept up the pace beside him, she took a small, experimental sip of her drink. It was smooth and sweet, just to her liking.

"This is really good!" she told him with a grin.

"Don't get carried away," Hiei advised as he cast a sideways glance in her direction. "We wouldn't want a repeat of last time."

Botan pursed her lips together, cheeks lighting in embarrassment as she remember how bold she had gotten with him in her intoxicated state of mind. She certainly wasn't planning on repeating that incident again.

"I know, I know."

Hiei took a large swallow of his drink and Botan turned accusatory eyes towards him.

"You should heed your own advice, too, mister," she advised lightly. "Although drunk-Hiei is a lot of fun, he also has loose lips."

"Hn."

As they approached the table, Botan was a bit disappointed to see that Mukuro and Yomi were already gone. She supposed there was no use in fretting, though, the night was young and there would be plenty of opportunities for her to exchange a few words with the other woman.

"Welcome to the best table in the house," Yusuke greeted. He had already taken the liberty of freeing himself from his dark blazer, donned only in slacks, a white shirt and a loosened tie. It seemed as though he already had a few drinks under his belt, as evidenced by the empty glasses on the table. Keiko, who sat beside him, was dressed in a beautiful off the shoulder yellow gown, with a fitted silhouette and a sweeping train.

"You two clean up nicely," Botan complimented with an impressed grin.

"Says the girl who's got all eyes on her," Keiko teased. "But I thought you were saving that dress for Koenma's wedding?"

"Koenma's wedding?!" she exclaimed in surprise. That was news to her.

"Yeah, he couldn't make it tonight because he was meeting with Ayame and that super famous wedding planner in Fukuoka."

"Oh, yes, that's right…" she laughed nervously. Botan blinked down at the blue dress before giving Keiko a sheepish grin. "W-well I had intended to save this for that special event, but you know me… I got impatient and I just had to wear it sooner rather than later."

Keiko smiled.

"I can't blame you. That dress is stunning, even more so on you."

"Yeah, Hiei's practically salivating," Yusuke commented. "Bet he can't wait to get you out of it."

All eyes turned towards Hiei, who was, in fact, staring at her general direction. She could not be sure if he was actually looking at her, because he quickly tore his gaze away and angled himself away from them. She remembered the way he visually drank in her form earlier and felt her heart speed up just a bit.

"Aw, give him a break, Yusuke," Haru said, coming to Hiei's defense. "You know he hates these events. You shouldn't make it any harder on the guy."

"Don't look at me, Botan's the one making it _hard_ on him," Yusuke replied cheekily.

Haru busted out laughing at that, unable to contain his amusement and causing Yusuke to do the same.

"It isn't nice to tease him like that!" Botan admonished.

For some reason, the two started laughing even harder at her choice in words and Botan frowned in confusion. She honestly could not understand what was so hilarious and when she turned to look back at Hiei, she was dismayed to find that the spot he had previously occupied was now empty. Her eyes darted around the room until she spotted a flash of black and blue retreating into the crowd. Shooting the boys a withering look, Botan proceeded to trail after him. It was a little difficult to catch up to him considering her state of dress and the horde of people between them, but she managed to meet up with as he stood on the line that led to the bar.

"Hiei," she began cautiously. "Yusuke was just being Yusuke. It's best to ignore him in times like these."

"I'm well aware. You didn't need to follow me here to tell me that."

"I just thought you were upset, is all."

"I'm not."

She squinted her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then why did you take off like that?"

"Because if I'm expected to survive an evening surrounded by the company of fools, I'll need another drink," he explained.

The line moved and they both took a step forward accordingly.

"Oh, I see."

"You should know that I'm not that sensitive," he reminded her. "And I don't need to be coddled."

"Well, excuse me for being bothered enough to care," she huffed, turning her nose in the air.

He did not reply, instead choosing to focus his attentions on the bartender as he ordered himself another whiskey. She tapped her foot on the floor, a frown pulling her mouth downwards. It wouldn't kill him to appreciate her kindness every now and again, but she had learned her lesson. Next time, she'd let Yusuke and Haru torment him and not step in at all. That would certainly teach him.

"Let's go."

Hiei's voice reached her ears distantly, but it was his palm sliding against hers that pulled her from her thoughts. Although she hadn't been expecting it at all, she closed her hand around his instinctually and allowed him to lead her away. Her ire faded and gave way to a lighter, more content emotion as the warmth of his touch enveloped her. She only ever felt that way around him, but she decided not to question it. After all, it was quite nice when Hiei wasn't being a menace and she did not want to spoil the moment.

Hiei suddenly stopped in his tracks and when she refocused and looked up ahead, she realized why.

"I was beginning to think that you both wouldn't show," Mukuro stated, the slightest hint of amusement in her blue eyes.

"Hn, I wouldn't be here if I had it my way," Hiei replied bluntly.

Mukuro seemed to agree with him, affording Hiei a slight nod before she turned to regard Botan. The ferry-girl straightened her posture a bit, meeting Mukuro's gaze with a polite smile.

"It's a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise."

A beat of silence passed over them until Botan spoke again.

"I'm glad I was able to catch you before the ceremony started. I wanted to congratulate you on your upcoming award," she mentioned. "It's always nice to see a strong, smart and hardworking woman being recognized for all that she does."

"Coming from anyone else, I would write that off as useless flattery," Mukuro began.

Botan's expression fell, eyes widening as she opened her mouth to protest.

"That wasn't my attention at all. I didn't mean to-"

"I know," Mukuro cut in. "Your words always come from a place of sincerity and I appreciate the sentiment."

"O-of course."

A moment later, one of the guests had called for Mukuro's attention. Apparently she was in high demand tonight.

"Enjoy the evening," the taller woman encouraged. "Between the two of us, at least one of us should."

Botan nodded slowly, watching as Mukuro ventured off into another direction with one of the guests before letting out a deep sigh. No matter the reality or place or time, Mukuro remained an impressive and imposing figure and Botan would be lying if she said she wasn't a little intimidated by her calm and cool confidence.

"I hope I made a good impression…" she muttered to herself, releasing Hiei's hand as she wrung hers together nervously.

"You needn't worry," Hiei stated evenly, gaze set on the crowd ahead rather than on her. "It seems as though your counterpart has already received Mukuro's seal of approval."

Botan's blinked several times as his words sunk in.

"You really think so?"

"It's obvious in the way she interacts with you."

Botan tilted her head as she pouted at him.

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better are you?"

Hiei lifted a brow in response, turning to meet her gaze.

"When have I ever said anything to make anyone feel better?"

"You've got a point there…"

"Hn."

"Well, this is great news!" Botan exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "I was afraid she might not like me very much, but I guess I had nothing to worry about!"

"I don't see why you would concern yourself over a trivial thing like that."

"Isn't it obvious?" Botan questioned.

He shook his head.

"The only reason I wanted her to like me in the first place was because she means a lot to you," she explained.

"I don't understand why you would go to that extent," he said.

"It's because I care about you, Hiei," she answered, without hesitation or reluctance. "I don't know how many times I have to say it until it sinks in, but it's the honest truth."

A flash of emotion spread across his expression, rounding his sharp eyes a fraction and softening his features. The thought that she had said too much dawned on her, but it was hard to pay much attention to anything else when Hiei was looking at her like that. The way his gaze bore into hers was enough to make her weak in the knees. Eventually, his eyes drifted away from hers and she let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"You're always saying something strange, woman," he said.

"So you always tell me," she replied lightheartedly.

Hiei looked as though he wanted to say something more, but in the end he decided against it. His expression returned to its tempered state, eyes unreadable and expression voice of any emotion.

"Let's go," he urged.

He didn't take her hand as he walked off this time.

And just like that, their moment slipped away.

* * *

The ceremony was long, drawn out and superfluous. Dinner was served shortly after and then the fraternizing continued. Music crooned from the speakers as colorful lights replaced the previous soft, golden light of the chandeliers. Hiei was in the middle of ignoring his way through his umpteenth exchange of the night with the ferry-girl dutifully stationed at his side. Fortunately for him, she was happy to lead the conversations and shoulder a majority of the social responsibility between the two of them.

But it didn't just end there. She continued to touch him, loop her arm with his or interlock her fingers against his. She regarded him with bright affection in her amethyst eyes and spoke nothing but good words about him from her lips. They needed to keep up appearances – he understood that very well – but in light of recent events, the sudden onslaught of attention was becoming too much.

He knew that she cared about him; she had drilled that into his head on more than one account and had even proved it with her actions on more than one occasion. He had only just begun to understand what that meant, when the proverbial rug was swept out from under him and he was once more left on unsteady footing. The extent to which she cared for him had opened up a whole new realm of confusion and inexperience. The consideration that she had extended towards him was much more than a man like him deserved, and yet, she never once saw it that way.

She constantly surprised him; she incessantly shook him up.

Even now, as she hung off of his arm and said the things that a woman who loved him was supposed to say, she continued to confuse him.

"Pretty soon Hiei will be the one up there receiving an award," the chief – whose name Hiei had already forgotten – said as he clapped a hand against his shoulder.

Hiei was uninterested in accolades and merits, so he only grunted noncommittally at the compliment.

"I don't doubt that," Botan supported, as she smiled at him. "His determination is second to none. I'm sure that he will go far."

He swallowed thickly and averted his gaze.

Moments like this confused him the most. The affection in her eyes, the warmth of her smile and the gentle way touched him were all gestures that should not have been wasted on him. She shouldn't have taken it this far, because her act was far too convincing. And when she pretended to love him, he almost believed her. His chest tightened with an emotion he did not want to identify as he pushed the thought away. It was an impossible likelihood, so he steeled himself and continued on as if he was unaffected.

They eventually returned to their table and Botan released the hold she had on his arm as they reclaimed their seats. The ferry-girl's attention was fixed on her phone while the detective and his woman talked amongst themselves. The rest of their table was off elsewhere and Hiei proceeded to finish off his third drink in silence. As the cinnamon whiskey traveled down his throat and warmed his insides, he took a moment to appreciate the slight respite he was afforded.

It lasted a little less than a minute, before the ferry-girl regarded him once more.

"Say, Hiei?"

He glanced over at Botan. She had been scrolling through the pictures she had taken, and the screen was currently displayed the one of the many shots she had of herself and Haru. They wore matching, playful expressions on their faces, while Yusuke threw up a peace sign behind them. Botan's gaze lingered on the image, a crinkle marring her brows.

"What is it?"

"Don't you think it's strange that neither of us knows Haru in our world, but we're both well acquainted with him in this one?" she asked quietly.

He paused to consider it for a moment. He did think it strange at first, but he soon came to realize that this world was not meant to be a mirror of their world. It was only natural that things deviated from what they considered to be the norm in their reality, and Haru was one of those deviations.

"We were fortunate enough not to meet him in our world," he answered. "I wouldn't question something like that."

"Oh, but I'd love the chance to get to know him once we return," Botan said. "I just find it a little worrying that neither of us has run into him yet."

"…"

Her frown deepened as she leaned in closer to him.

"You don't think he may have..." she trailed off, not wanting to voice her morbid thoughts.

Hiei knew what she meant regardless of whether she completed the thought or not. Their reality was much more dangerous than this one, and the ferry-girl wondered if Haru may have already met his end. It would not be uncommon or surprising in the least if that was the case, but for some reason, he did not want to consider the possibility of it being true.

"He is most likely in another part of our reality, being a nuisance and bothering someone else," he concluded evenly.

Botan nodded, relief seeping through her features.

"I like the sound of that much better," she smiled.

"What are you two lovebirds whispering about over there?" Yusuke asked from across the table.

"Uh, you know, just boring old couple things," Botan replied ambiguously.

Yusuke wiggled his brows as he sent a lewd look their way. He was surely going to say something perverted and out of place, but Keiko interrupted.

"That means it's none of your business, Yusuke," Keiko warned. "And if you suggest something depraved, you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."

"Alright, alright," he relented, hands raised in defense. He took a swig of his drink and then set his sights on Hiei. "By the way, did you see Hachiro, yet?"

"No," Hiei answered, despite having no idea who that was.

"Mukuro said he was around here somewhere. Said you guys should catch up if you have the time," Yusuke mentioned. "Apparently, he did a complete one-eighty."

The name Hachiro did not ring a bell and he failed to see what significance the stranger may have held. He nodded nonetheless, which did the trick of appeasing the detective and making him drop the subject altogether. In the silence that ensued, Hiei pulled his cellphone out to check the time. _11:32_. He had spent the better part of his night here and was eager to leave.

"Ready to go?" Botan asked him, fully knowing what was on his mind.

"I've been ready since the moment we entered this place."

"Alright, just give me a moment. I have to visit the little girl's room," she informed sheepishly as she stood up and left her purse on her chair.

He sat back with a nod and watched as she walked away. The way that blue dress clung to her body was downright sinful and if he knew that it would look this good on her, he wouldn't have chosen it. He had gotten so used to seeing her figure swallowed beneath layers of clothing that he had almost forgotten how slender and feminine she was. She certainly held her own charms and allure and Hiei admittedly found himself – along with a few other males, much to his irritation – drawn to the sight of her.

"Dude, you are so sprung."

Yusuke's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he raised a brow at the detective.

"What?"

"You don't have to stare after her like you'll never see her again. She's coming back, lover-boy."

Keiko stifled a laugh behind her hand and Hiei's eyes narrowed into a glare. He shouldn't have been staring at her blatantly like that and now the detective would hound him about it for days to come. Returning his phone to his pocket, he angled himself away from the detective's line of sight and strummed his fingers on the tabletop.

Now that the sight of the ferry-girl no longer distracted him, he was quickly reminded of how much he disliked overcrowded venues like this. He hated pretending to know all the people he could not care less about and making small talk. He hated the oddly colored lights that shined down upon him and the music stretched throughout the room. He hated the frivolity and excess that surrounded him and, yet, he had somehow made it through without spilling any blood. Either he was going soft or his patience had increased upon coming to this world. But even if he had become a bit more tolerant, the fact remained that he was rapidly approaching the limits of his restraint. He wanted nothing more than to return to the apartment and get out of these restrictive clothes, but the ferry-girl was taking her sweet time. Loosening his tie, he skimmed through the crowd in search for her.

It took a few moments until he spotted her. His tension should have dissipated the moment he saw that familiar shock of blue hair, but the coil of unease within him tightened even further. He stood up abruptly, his senses sharpened and adrenaline coursing through this system. Standing just a few inches away from Botan was a figure that was too familiar to be a mere coincidence. Though the man in question looked a bit different without the fangs and claws, his identity was unmistakable.

It was the lizard demon.

He was here.


	19. Chapter 19

The soft crooning of music filled Botan's ears as she exited the bathroom and stepped into the dimly lit hallway. All in all, the awards ceremony had been a fairly successful night. Hiei hadn't killed anyone, Haru seemed to be doing well with Ruka and, as it turned out, Mukuro actually liked her! She had a pleasant time socializing with complete strangers and hearing all about the humorous and lighthearted moments the punctuated an otherwise dangerous and serious profession. It certainly gave her a deeper insight into what Hiei did past the grumblings and curt replies he had given her when she asked about his day.

As she continued down the hall, heels clicking and echoing in the narrow space, she spared a quick glance downward to ensure that her dress was not trailing the floor. In the brief moment that she failed to pay attention to her surroundings, she inadvertently ended up bumping into another figure.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Botan apologized, bowing quickly.

"No harm done here."

Her entire body tensed, blood running cold at the sound of the stranger's voice. She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his face, a quiet gasp escaping from her lips as she took in those haunting grey eyes.

"I-it's you!" Botan exclaimed, pointing a shaky finger at the elusive lizard demon. Even if he looked more human than demon and even if he was dressed up in a fancy charcoal suit, he could not hide who he really was.

He squinted down at her for a few moments before the flash of realization set into his grey eyes.

"The interfering ferry-girl," he stated.

Botan gulped, taking a step backwards. Although the main hall was packed, traffic was drastically reduced in the little walkway where they currently stood. She could see the entrance to the main hall, but there was no way she could alert Hiei without giving the thief a chance to escape. Steeling herself, she set her eyes on him again. She would simply have to handle this on her own, without her spirit energy or her trusty metal bat.

"Whoa, whoa," he said, raising his hands up in defense. "You don't have to look so on edge. I'm not going to hurt you."

Botan's eyes narrowed suspiciously and the man sighed.

"Seriously," he continued. "What reason would I have for doing that?"

"Because you're the no good thief who trapped me in this reality and you need to kill me to ensure my silence?"

He paused, confusion pinching his features considerably.

"…You've got a bit of an overactive imagination there, don't you?" he observed.

"No, I've just encountered my fair share of wicked souls to know how they operate," she shot back firmly.

At this, his expression hardened.

"I'm not as evil as you think I am."

"You'll have to excuse me if I find that hard to believe," she replied sternly.

He ran a hand through his dark locks, letting out a sigh.

"My reasons for defecting to this reality are a long story and you being here was an unfortunate accident," he explained. "You should have just left well enough alone."

"You shouldn't have stolen that artifact in the first place!" Botan accused.

"Like I said, I had my reasons," he maintained lowly, voice thick with emotion as he averted his gaze.

There was a deep sadness coloring his expression that caught her completely off guard. It was genuine and it was real. Something heartbreaking must have happened to him; something that nearly destroyed him, because the emotion in his eyes was something that could not be faked. The heavy silence that passed between them softened her anger and her heart and before long, Botan found herself taking a step closer towards him.

"What happened to you?" she asked quietly, the words laced with concern.

His gaze snapped back to meet hers, his sadness now mixed with disbelief and shock.

"You actually care to know?" he asked.

Botan nodded honestly.

"I do."

The cloudy emotions cleared away from his eyes, replaced with a firm resolve as he stared back at her.

"It's not something I turn into a conversation piece," he began as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But I suppose after what I've done to you, you deserve to know the truth."

Botan nodded at him receptively. Now that her previous fear and apprehension had faded, she was willing to hear him out with an open and unbiased mind. The man took a deep breath, preparing to tell her everything when they were interrupted altogether.

"You _bastard_."

The distinct growl of Hiei's voice rumbled from behind her, the rough quality and the coldness in his tone causing her to freeze in place.

"Shit," the former lizard demon said, visibly worried as he took a defensive step backwards.

"I'll kill you," Hiei threatened as he stalked forward.

"Wait!" Botan said, moving on autopilot as she placed herself in front of his path and pressed a hand against his chest to halt him. She knew that she wasn't strong enough to really hold him back, but Hiei stilled regardless. She could almost feel the anger emanating from him as plainly as she saw the clear bloodlust in his red eyes.

"Do you have the slightest idea of who that is?" he snarled.

"I'm well aware," Botan said firmly. "But I need you to calm down."

"This is no time for your pacifistic-"

"Hiei, please," she pleaded. "It's too risky for you to start behaving recklessly here."

"She's right, you know," the thief piped in. "We will all suffer the consequences if you caused a scene at an event filled with officers and the like."

Hiei looked between the two of them, his jaw clenched tightly as he considered their advice. His incensed gaze met hers and Botan held the contact steadily, despite the nervous thumping of her heart. He had every justifiable right to be angered right now, but this was neither the time nor the place to fly off the handle. She needed him to understand that.

"Please, just calm down," she urged softly.

After a few moments, the tension in his shoulders fell and he relented to her will with a sharp nod.

Botan let out a sigh as she removed her hand.

"That's much better-" she began.

But her words fell on deaf ears. Hiei had moved in an instant, rushing past her with a speed that only he could muster. By the time she had whipped around to berate him, Hiei had already grabbed a fist full of the lizard-demon's shirt and his other fist was rapidly approaching the enemy's face. Time seemed to move in slow motion now, her heart beating so loudly that it echoed in her ears, as she watched the scene helplessly. The thief braced for impact, but the blow never came.

"Daddy!"

The high-pitched cry caught them all off guard, causing Hiei to freeze mid-punch. They all turned their eyes to where a young girl was standing. She was breathing heavily, tears gathering in her grey eyes as she watched the scene fearfully. Hiei released his hold on the other man, his arms hanging limply at his sides as the girl ran into the thief's embrace and buried her face in his chest.

"Was that bad man going to hurt you?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"No, honey," he soothed as he rubbed her back. "He was just showing me a new move he learned on the job."

The child peeked at Hiei and then hid her face in her father's chest again with a whimper. Botan could not exactly fault the poor girl for still being afraid; Hiei did look awfully menacing in that moment and even Botan was a little shaken up over the scene. Still, she was glad the the girl came when she did. She saved them all from a lot of trouble. As the thief continued to console his daughter, Botan's expression softened. He held her like she was precious; as though he was afraid he would never get the chance to do so again. Her heart fell as she put the pieces together, the thief's strange behavior making a little bit more sense now.

"Was she… one of your reasons for coming here?" Botan asked cautiously.

He nodded, that look of sorrow carved into his expression again. He took a step towards Botan, despite the way Hiei tensed and glared at him.

"If you give me some time, I can meet you tomorrow," he promised. "I'll bring the pendant and I'll explain everything then."

"No," Hiei sneered. "If you think for a second that I'm letting you go-"

"-Alright," Botan agreed quickly.

"Botan-" Hiei growled, turning to glare at her.

"It's okay, Hiei. Trust me."

The fire-demon took in a deep breath and turned away from the scene, crossing his arms over his chest tightly. She understood his frustrations, but right now he was too clouded by his need for vengeance to see much else. Pummeling the thief into the ground was not the right course of action and it certainly would raise many questions from the others who were around to witness it. Although she had her reservations, she felt as though she could trust the demon to meet with them tomorrow.

"Thanks, ferry-girl. 10 A.M at the Moon Café sound good to you?" he asked.

"Yes. I hope to see you there."

"You will."

Botan watched him walk away, silently praying that she had done the right thing. As he retreated, Yusuke rounded the corner, strolling towards them with a grin.

"Hey, I see you guys caught up with Hachiro," he observed.

"Who?" she questioned.

"Hachiro Nakamura," Yusuke filled in. "He's retired now, but he used to work with Mukuro and Hiei a few years back at the precinct in Kyoto."

"Oh, I see…" Botan replied, absorbing the information to the best of her ability. Her head was still spinning from that encounter and it was hard to put on a semi-normal face for Yusuke's benefit.

"He was kind of an asshole, but he seems like a totally different guy now," Yusuke said, glancing over at Hiei. "Right?"

Hiei's fists were balled tightly at his sides, lips drawn into a tight line. He refused to humor Yusuke with any form of light conversation and Botan couldn't exactly blame him. The silence was concerning, though, and not many moments later, Yusuke's grin fell.

"Everything okay?" he asked lightly.

Botan took a step forward, obscuring Yusuke's view of Hiei.

"Uh… well… not exactly. Hiei must have eaten something bad because he's not feeling well," she lied.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was the fish," Yusuke agreed. His stomach grumbled and he brought a hand to it with a grimace. "Definitely the fish. If you'll excuse me, I've got a date with the bathroom..."

Botan watched the detective trudge off, waiting until he was out of sight before turning hesitant eyes towards the seething fire-demon. She frowned as she took in the rigidity of his stance, one hand shoved into his pocket and the other balled into a fist at his side. His expression wasn't any better, features tightly woven in anger. He hadn't been this upset in a long time and she knew that some of that fury was definitely directed towards her. She had just let their enemy escape, after all.

"Hiei?" she asked as she approached him carefully.

His dark gaze met hers.

"Why did you trust him?" he questioned, rage simmering beneath his barely controlled tone.

"I just had a feeling that we could."

"And what if your little 'feeling' was wrong?" he interrogated.

"I just have to hold onto the hope that it wasn't," Botan answered determinedly. "You heard Yusuke: Hachiro's turned into a pretty decent guy since crossing over to this reality. I believe that he'll uphold his promise and meet us tomorrow, just as he said."

"He had better."

"He will," she reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you don't trust in him, then at least trust in me."

He searched her gaze for a moment or two, before the rage that had darkened his eyes dissipated. He nodded quietly, shoulders falling slightly from their previously raised and stiff position.

Botan let out the little breath that she didn't realize she had been holding, before casting a glance towards the direction that Hachiro had taken his daughter to.

She hoped that her instincts didn't fail her.

-x-

The next morning was a cold and crisp one and Botan pushed her hands into the warmth of her pockets as she and Hiei traversed down the lively streets. Hiei had been quiet, even more so than usual, and a permanent scowl was etched into his mouth as he squinted underneath the bright sun.

"Feels a little weird to be going this way on our day off, huh?" Botan asked conversationally.

"Hn."

Botan frowned at his dismissive response, but did not take it to heart. He was probably too preoccupied over their upcoming meeting to make small talk and she could not exactly blame him for that. Her nerves were buzzing as well, insides twisting at the thought that she had made the wrong call. If she had somehow ruined their chances to ever return with her misguided empathy, she wasn't sure she could ever forgive herself.

"Don't make that face, woman," Hiei ordered suddenly.

Botan stopped in her tracks, surprised that Hiei had spoken to her at all, much less bothered to notice how nervous she was. She looked over at him questioningly and he continued.

"Even if that bastard doesn't show, I still have ways of tracking him down," he resolved, staring off in the distance with determination in his red eyes.

"You do?" she asked, brows lifting curiously.

He glanced at her, a calm confidence in his stature.

"I have his full name now. That is more than enough," he reasoned.

Botan nodded slowly in understanding. She did not expect for him to comfort or reassure her while he was trying to keep his own turbulent emotions at bay, but he continued to surprise her. He had changed so much upon coming here – or perhaps, he was simply given the chance to be the person he always was at his core. Whatever the case was, his gesture melted her worries away and replaced them with a calm resoluteness. Warmth enveloped her in a way that only occurred because of the raven-haired, stoic man and she could not stop the smile that stretched out her lips.

"Thanks Hiei," she said, lacing her fingers between his for no other reason than because she simply wanted to.

He closed his hand around hers and nodded, before continuing onwards. No matter what happened today, they would get through it like they did everything else: together. It was a comforting thought and it was enough to keep all other doubts at bay. They eventually spotted the brick front entrance of the café and Botan took a deep breath to ground herself as they entered. The place was packed, but she almost immediately sighted Hachiro waiting patiently at table in the far corner. His head was bowed as he stared down at his steaming cup of coffee and Botan could feel Hiei tense up beside her.

"Remember to keep that temper of yours in check," she advised quietly.

Hiei grunted noncommittally in turn.

"Hello there," Botan greeted politely as she took a seat across from Hachiro. "I'm glad that you came."

"I did say that I would," he reminded her.

"You did," Botan agreed.

Silence enveloped them, despite the noise of cutlery clanking and machines whizzing in the background. Neither of them seemed to know where to start first. She opened her mouth to say something - anything, but Hiei was faster.

"I'm only restraining myself because of the ferry-girl," he stated impatiently, eyes cold and hard as he stared at Hachiro. "If you don't start talking soon, I can't guarantee that my patience won't run out."

Hachiro nodded in understanding, folding his hands in front of him as he began.

"The reason I came to this reality was because there was nothing left for me in ours. My wife and daughter… they were murdered back in Makai," he said lowly. His gaze lowered, tears coming to his eyes in the silence that followed. Botan's heart ached for the man, the pain radiating off of him almost palpable. She waited patiently for him to collect himself, knowing that nothing she said would ever be enough. He sniffed back the tears determinedly and eventually continued. "I made so many mistakes in the past, I was stupid and reckless and I had little regard for much else but my own selfish desires. But when my wife came into my life… all that changed. And when we had our daughter, I knew that I needed to put myself on the right track. I started doing things the good and proper way. Lived by the law… even got myself a decent post in Mukuro's army. Life was good for a while, but I should have known it wouldn't last long. An enemy from my younger years wanted revenge and he knew that the surest way to hurt me was through them."

"I'm so sorry…" Botan tried.

Hachiro pursed his lips together and swallowed thickly. He took another deep breath as he resumed his story.

"They were all I had and I couldn't… I couldn't let them go," he explained. "There was no way to bring them back to life – I didn't have any connections to the Spirit World nor would Enma or the little Prince be interested in a demon's plight. But when I came across research concerning alternate universes and the like, I decided to give it a try. I wasn't sure I even believed in it, but I had nothing left to lose and everything to gain."

"I see…" Botan said.

"Mukuro had many records and manuscripts detailing the various realities in her archives. And lucky for me, she even had the artifact capable of breaking through the dimensions. It was a definite gamble - but I decided to set my course for this place anyway."

"…And was this reality what you were looking for?"

He nodded.

"It was. I knew that I'd become nothing more than a powerless human upon coming here, but it was worth it for the chance to be reunited wth my family. I wanted to live the rest of my days inconspicuously, but that awards event was something the other Hachiro had committed to. Everyone would find it strange if I didn't show."

"Speaking of..." Botan began carefully. "Don't you think all of this is a little unfair towards your counterpart?"

"I don't," he replied firmly.

"But you literally stole his life…"

"From what I've gathered, this reality's Hachiro wasn't exactly a standup guy. I guess he's how I would have turned out had I never decided to get my life together. My wife and daughter didn't need to be subjected to a deadbeat like that. As far as I'm concerned, I did everyone a favor."

Botan still appeared to be a bit apprehensive about it, prompting Hachiro to continue.

"I didn't come here for any malicious purposes," he declared. "My reasons have nothing to do with world domination or destruction – as you can see, I'm a powerless human now. I just wanted to be with my family. And I plan on doing right by them until the day I die."

He was telling the truth and she could not exactly fault him for his desire to be with the people that mattered most. Death was something that always stayed with you – and if it had happened to her, she might have chosen to do the same.

"Hn. I don't care about your reasons or motivations," Hiei scoffed, his tone piercing the silence. "I'm more concerned with what you know about the pendant."

Hachiro was not affected or bothered by Hiei's callous words. He simply pulled the necklace out from his pocket and held it out in front of him. Attached to it was the sapphire pendant in question, but its brilliant hue was now reduced to a duller shade of blue.

"It somehow managed to keep its mystical properties upon crossing into this world," he revealed, the light catching the pendant and giving it an unearthly glow. "It should have enough power for one trip, if that.

"Just one?" Botan echoed, leaning forward in her seat.

"Unfortunately," he replied, handing the item off to Botan. "The artifact was never meant to transport multiple people, so our initial journey used up most of its power reserves. It's a wonder that its got any energy left in it at all."

Botan held the pendant in her hand, frowning down at the tiny gem.

"How do you activate the artifact?" Hiei asked.

"You'll need this," Hachiro said, opening his hand to reveal what looked like a tiny remote and passing it over to Hiei. "It controls the artifact."

"Go on," Hiei ordered.

"It's like this: each reality has its own code and classification. This is reality A6. Ours was A7," he informed. "If you enter the right coordinates into the keypad, the pendant will activate and transport itself to that location."

"It's that simple?" Hiei asked, doubt and distrust running clear in his red eyes.

"Yes, but you have to remember what I said," Hachiro warned. "There's probably only enough juice in this thing to transport one person. I wouldn't risk it if I were you two."

Hiei's mouth drew into a firm line as he nodded and handed the control to Botan. Clearly he was not pleased with the news.

"We'll simply have to find a way to make do," Botan reasoned brightly, placing both items in her purse. "Somehow, we always do."

Hachiro nodded, taking a stand.

"You may not believe me, but I wish you both luck in getting back," he offered, extending a hand towards her.

They both stood up in tandem and Botan took Hachiro's rough hand in hers.

"Thank you," she replied. "We will certainly need it."

-x-

Their commute home was as quiet and strained as their trip to the café. Neither exchanged a word; both of them lost in their own thoughts and the jarring news that only one person could theoretically return home. Upon relieving herself of her jacket, she retrieved the pendant from the pocket within her purse. She could hardly believe a tiny thing like this held such an amazing ability. It was too bad that its reserves were nearly depleted though; it would have been the answer to all of their problems if it was up and running at full power.

"Use it," Hiei said suddenly.

Botan turned to find Hiei still standing near the door. His eyes were fixed on her, his jaw set determinedly.

"Huh?"

"I want you to be the one to use the artifact," he decided, his gaze boring into her own.

The declaration hit her hard and she shook her head.

"I couldn't possibly do a thing like that!"

"It's the only option," he stated firmly. "You return to our dimension and find a way to bring me back. There won't be enough energy to transport me, but it should be enough for you."

Blue brows drew together in concern. The thought of going on without him made her feel sick to her stomach.

"I'm not going to just leave you here, Hiei. I can't!" she objected.

"You can, and you will."

"No, I won't! Besides, you're the one who needs to return. You've got a sister who needs you, along with a big important territory to help run with Mukuro. I'm just one of many back home, no one would miss little old me," she said. There was no regret in her tone as she smiled at him and pushed the pendant in his hand. "Please, Hiei. It's really alright."

He frowned down at the item contemplatively, his brow furrowed as he closed his fist over it.

"Fine," he scoffed, taking a step forward. "If neither of us is willing to use it, then we will have to find another alternative."

Botan blinked in confusion, mouth falling open in surprise. Hiei was a stubborn soul, but this bout of obstinacy took the cake.

"We have a way and it's right here, if you would just use it!" she pointed out, motioning over to his closed fist.

"Don't be stupid, woman," he bit out harshly. "I'm not leaving without you."

The resolve in his crimson eyes, coupled with the finality in his tone caused all further protests to die in her throat. There was simply no arguing with that and Botan's expression softened as she stared back at the fire-demon. As much as she wanted him to return home, she found solace in the fact that he did not want to leave her alone. She watched him set the artifact down on the entryway table, a frown tugging his lips downwards as he looked away.

Their situation was a terribly frustrating one. They had the means to go home, but it was completely useless to them if neither was willing to make that journey without the other. Still, there must have been something left for them to do.

And then a thought occurred to her.

"We may not be willing to use the artifact for ourselves, but I think there's a way we can still get something out of it," she announced.

"What do you mean?"

"What if we simply attached a message to the pendant and sent it over for the others to find? We'll let them know that we're safe and we can give them the coordinates to this reality. Once they know where we are, all they'll need is the right tool to bring us back!" she explained.

The tightness seeped from his features, a little bit of hope lighting his eyes as he nodded.

"Yes," he acknowledged. "Providing them with this reality's coding is imperative. Once they know our location, finding the artifact necessary for our retrieval will be child's play."

Botan nodded eagerly.

"We should go someplace familiar," she began. "Somewhere that someone is guaranteed to read the note."

"The old woman's temple," he suggested.

"My thoughts exactly!" Botan said excitedly, turning to recollect the artifact and return it to her purse. She was halfway through putting her coat back on, when Hiei interrupted her.

"What are you doing?"

She paused, her arm halfway through the sleeve as she answered.

"We should get a move on, don't you think?"

"Now?"

"Yes! The journey will take a few hours and we don't want to be trekking back and forth through the forest in the dark."

He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets in resignation.

"I thought you'd be more eager," Botan noted, tilting her head at him in confusion. "We finally have a way of reaching the others. This is a good thing, isn't it?"

He muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked, brows raised in curiosity.

His mouth slanted downwards and he looked elsewhere as he spoke.

"I said: I'm hungover, woman," he clarified.

Botan's eyes widened as the realization sunk in and the pieces began to align.

"So that's why you've been so irritable all morning!" she reasoned. She thought he was angry with her, but he was just suffering through the effects of last night's alcohol consumption.

"Hn."

Botan settled her hands on her hips, a contemplative look settling over her features. The most important thing was that they had both settled on a course of action and had the means to enact it. Delaying the play by a day would not matter much in the grand scheme of things.

"Well, there's really no need to rush," she decided. "We can always send our message tomorrow."

Hiei shook his head obstinantley.

"I can make it," he said. "It will just be a nuisance."

"Are you sure?" she tested.

"Positive."

"Alright, fine," she agreed, not entirely convinced but not in the mood to argue, either. "If you insist..."

And so, they set off, only taking a quick pit stop for an early lunch. A majority of their journey involved taking a bus - which was much more convenient than driving given Hiei's hungover state and Botan mentally exhausted one. As they took their seats, Botan's mind drifted back to the first time she had taken this mode of transportation. She had been sandwiched between a bickering Yusuke and Kuwabara as they set off to rescue Yukina from Tarukane's clutches. The unsuspecting trio had no idea that Hiei was hot their trail, intent on saving his sister and enacting his own brand of justice on the crime lord, but in the end, it had all turned out okay.

Botan glanced at Hiei, who had already made himself comfortable by leaning back into his seat and closing his eyes. That mission was the first time she had witnessed something akin to tenderness from the fire-demon. She would never forget the gentle way he had regarded Yukina, nor the slight smile that reached his lips when he thought no one was watching. It was a moment that stayed with her and it was the first time that she realized he might not be all that different from the rest of them. She smiled as she considered how far the two of them had come. She never thought the fire-demon's softer side would ever shine through for her sake, but here they were in a reality where he had shown her over and over again just how good and true his heart was.

"You're staring," Hiei commented, cracking an eye open to stare back at her questioningly.

She shivered. Apparently, he had a sixth sense even without his jagan.

"I wasn't staring, I was simply... reflecting," she corrected.

He raised a brow, a non-verbal urging for her to explain, but she shook her head.

"It's not important," she dismissed. "Anyway, you should get some rest. I'll wake you when we reach our stop."

He nodded, closing his eyes and drifting off once more. Botan's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, before turning her eyes towards the window and allowing the warmth of Hiei's body beside her and the peaceful scenery stretched out before her to clear her mind of all its worries.

-x-

A little over two hours later found the unlikely pair climbing up the many steps that led to Genkai's temple. Botan's limbs were aching, but at least all of this activity kept her from feeling the biting effects of the cold weather. Soon enough, they reached the top of the stairs and she was dismayed to see what had become of the stately temple and its beautiful surroundings. The place was abandoned and overgrown with plants, moss and all manner of shrubbery while the temple itself was falling apart piece by piece. Clearly no one had lived here in a while and the property had suffered through years of neglect and rough weather conditions. It was a pretty depressing sight and just another reminder of how drastically different this world was from their own.

"Are you ready?" Hiei asked, his voice pulling her from her thoughts.

Botan nodded at him, noting that he was already holding the controller in his hands. She had taken the liberty of writing the note while on the bus and had already tied it to the pendant securely. As she passed it off to Hiei, all of her hopes went along with it. The fire-demon did not seem to be the slightest bit worried as he inputted the code carefully and caused the artifact to activate with the same blinding light that had brought them here in the first place. He threw the artifact far and fast and Botan watched with abated breath as it sailed through the air and landed on the veranda. The subsequent area was engulfed in a white light and Botan had to shield her eyes until passed. Her heart raced in her chest as she peeled her eyes open slowly, and she followed after Hiei as he approached the spot where the pendant fell. They searched for any signs of the artifact or her letter and she let out a sigh of relief when she found neither.

"I hope that worked," she muttered to herself.

"There's only one way to confirm," he said.

"I've already got us covered!" Botan informed cheerfully. "I asked Kuwabara if he would keep me posted on dreams before we left the cabin."

"And has he done so?" Hiei pressed.

"Yes, though he's only been having your standard, run-of-the-mill dreams as of late," she reported with a frown. "I suppose for now, we will simply have to wait."

Hiei nodded, his gaze lingering on the wooden panel that the pendant had landed on. His eyes had taken on a reflective quality and she wondered what was running through his mind in that instant. When they first arrived here, the only thing on his mind was leaving. Now that they were close to accomplishing just that – she wondered how he felt.

They had certainly spent a lot of time in this world, but she did not consider any of it a waste. It was a beautiful life filled with many wonderful, unforgettable moments. Botan wondered if a small part of Hiei might have felt the same, but his expression was shrouded by that unreadable mask.

"It will be dark soon," Hiei said suddenly, turning towards the sun. "The task is done, there is no need to linger here."

Botan nodded. She did not want to hang around the decrepit and depressing temple any longer than necessary anyway. As they navigated their way through the forest, the only sounds passing between them was the crunching of twigs and leaves from underneath their boots and the gentle sounds of forest's nocturnal inhabitants starting their nightly rituals. The temperature was dropping bit by bit, but fortunately for her, the brisk pace that Hiei had set was keeping her from feeling its effects. By the time they made their way to the bus stop, the golden glow of the sun was nearly extinguished and darkness was creeping in on all fronts. The doors opened for them, the welcomed rush of heat brushing against her wind beaten cheeks and cold fingers and warming her up considerably. They reclaimed their previous positions in one of the middle rows, Botan settling down in the window seat while Hiei made himself comfortable in the seat beside her.

She watched the scenery roll by while absentmindedly fiddling with the zipper on her purse. If all went well, they would soon be returning home. The corners of her mouth curled up slowly at the thought of it.

"You want to know what the first thing I'm going to do when I get back is?" Botan asked quietly.

"Not particularly, but I know you will tell me anyway."

She ignored his rudeness and continued.

"I want to fly," she said. "I don't even need a destination. I just want to fly freely through the open skies again."

He made a low noise of approval, no cutting remark on his lips this time.

"And I'm certain I can guess what you're going to do..." she teased.

He cocked a brow, inviting her to continue.

"You're going to train for the upcoming tournament, aren't you?"

"..."

"Well?" she pressed. "Was I right?"

He nodded begrudgingly and she let out a triumphant cheer.

"I knew it! Hopefully you'll get farther than last time," she encouraged. "Being paired up against Yomi in the first round was just bad luck."

Hiei appeared to be briefly confused for a second or two, before his expression smoothened.

"You watched the broadcast," he concluded.

"No siree, I saw it for myself. I was there."

"I didn't know you started attending the tournaments."

"I attended every tournament with Koenma dating back to its inception nearly a decade ago," Botan reminded him. "Are you telling me that you don't remember seeing me at a single one?"

He shifted in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

"It's not as though I had the luxury of noticing every single onlooker in the stands, woman," he replied stiffly.

"But I visited Mukuro's VIP area with Koenma on several occasions!" she revealed. "And I distinctly remember seeing you there every time."

His crimson gaze lowered almost guiltily. He had nothing to say to his defense and Botan huffed.

"And to think, I even rooted for you!" she muttered. "Turns out it was a waste of breath, since you couldn't even be bothered enough to notice that I existed."

She folded her arms over her chest and angled herself away from him, pouting at the window instead. She knew that Hiei disregarded everyone he did not deem worthy of recognition, but she did not think that she had fallen so far beneath his radar. It was a little more than insulting, to say the least, but she knew that she could not fault Hiei for his actions in the past. She had intended to quietly stew over her frustrations until they no longer bothered her, when Hiei's voice broke through the silence.

"I won't do that to you anymore," he stated seriously.

His words caught her off guard and she found herself facing him once more.

"What did you just say?" she asked.

"I said I won't overlook you anymore," he declared. "Once we get out of this… I'll remember you."

His voice was steady and even, as it usually was. There was no heavy emotion in his tone, but there was a touch of sincerity in his words and his crimson eyes that drew her in. Botan blinked as his resolution settled in and filled her heart with warmth.

"…Do you mean that?"

"I don't say anything uselessly," he affirmed.

"Oh, Hiei…"

"Besides, it would be impossible to forget you now," he admitted, looking away as he continued. "You've nagged your way into my brain."

All of those warm feelings promptly turned lukewarm as she frowned at him.

"Did you have to ruin the moment like that?"

He smirked, seemingly satisfied with himself as he closed his eyes and feigned sleep. She rolled her eyes at the smug man, but found herself smiling nonetheless as she sunk back into her seat. She had never been the type to hold onto her anger, doubly so when it came to the fire-demon.

Although they fought like cats and dogs and disagreed over everything, Hiei had become somewhat of a safety blanket to her. He was familiar, unchanging and constant. But this comfortable life they had woven together would begin to unravel the instant they stepped foot into their own reality.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and fixed her eyes on the twinkling stars above.

Moments like these would soon slip away from them and become nothing more than a memory. The routine that had become so second nature to her would be nothing more than a recollection. And the man she had come to regard as her best friend would be a world away.

Her chest was suddenly heavy, eyes prickling with emotion. She screwed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. There was no point in getting all sentimental now. The events were already set into motion and their return was inevitable.

* * *

They were about an hour into their return trip when Hiei was jolted awake. He looked around him, unsurprised to see that the bus was fuller, nearly occupied to max capacity now that they were closer to the city. The ferry-girl was fast asleep, her body angled away from his and her forehead resting on the window. The glass was undoubtedly cold and hard and he frowned at how uncomfortable she looked. Without putting much thought into it, he stretched his arm over her shoulders and pulled her against him. Normally, he detested all sorts of physical contact, but the familiar press of her body at his side and the scent of her lavender shampoo calmed him in ways he did not fully understand.

His thoughts were interrupted as Botan let out a contented sigh, mumbled something into his coat and proceeded to drift further into her unconscious state of mind.

Hiei ripped his gaze away from her and looked out of the window, forcing his mind to wander elsewhere. The past few hours had passed them by in a whirlwind of emotions and revelations. A lot had happened and he was still reeling as he thought back to last night.

When he first saw the enemy standing so close to Botan, instinct kicked in. The same blind rage that had overtaken him when finally got his hands on Tarukane had overcome him once again. The ferry-girl tried to ground him with her soft touch and soothing words, but it wasn't enough. If it hadn't been for the child - who was the splitting image of the lizard demon - he would not have been able to suppress the fires inside just long enough to keep his bloodlust at bay.

He had begrudgingly allowed Hachiro to walk away without a single way of knowing if he would keep his word, choosing to trust in the ferry-girl's convictions. He wasn't exactly happy about it, but in the end, he supposed it all played out in their favor. Hachiro kept true to his word to meet with them the next morning and had given them the tools and the information they needed to move forward.

Though the pendant only had enough juice to transport one of them back - it was still more than they had started out with. If one of them could make it back to their reality, then that would be good enough for now. Hiei had intended for Botan to be that one, but she was as sacrificial and stubborn as ever. She tried to convince him to use the pendant, implying that his life was more important than hers, but Hiei would hear none of it. In fact, he found it a little insulting that the ferry-girl could ever think that he would consider leaving this world without her. After all they had been through, it was simply out of the question. If she wasn't going, then neither was he.

The only thing left for them to do was make use of the pendant by sending a message across to the other side. Now that they had done their part, it was only a matter of time until someone happened upon the artifact and the letter tied to it.

It was only a matter of time until they left this world forever.

He should have felt a sense of relief or anticipation, but something heavy rested in his chest instead.

Over the course of the past few weeks, Hiei's opinion of this reality had slowly changed. The life that he thought to be cursed was actually filled with its own merits and fortunes. The people he had distanced himself from back home had returned to him in this reality and filled the gaps in his soul that he did not even realize were there. And the woman that he had continually discounted had somehow etched herself into his heart and made it beat with feelings he did not think himself capable of.

For the first time in a long time, he had begun to _care_ again. It started off thin and sporadic at first, but somehow, his concern grew over time and spread out to more and more people and things. Before he knew it, he found himself caring about this life and the people that came along with it.

The truth of the matter was that this reality was not so bad.

If their return took a little longer than expected, Hiei did not think he would mind.

He glanced down at Botan briefly, his expression softening as the tension loosened within his chest.

He wouldn't mind it at all.

* * *

I went a little heavy on the Botan POV in this chapter (which is surprising, considering how difficult it is for me to write for her!) – but I hope you guys enjoyed it nonetheless!

Thanks for all the beautiful reviews and messages. We're finally winding down to the last few chapters, so I just wanted to warn you all that the end is near. I'm predicting about four more chapters, but this is just a rough estimate for now. In any case, it's been a pleasure working on this fic. See you guys next time!


	20. Chapter 20

Hello, my lovely readers! I hope 2018 is treating you well! Let's make it a good year, even better than the last. :)

* * *

"Hiei!" Shinji giggled.

Crimson eyes narrowed down at the laughing boy.

Hiei wasn't exactly sure how he ended up holding the child again: one minute he was standing in the lobby, waiting for Botan, and the next, their neighbor had saddled him with the boy, claiming she had forgotten something in the car. Tapping his foot impatiently, he disentangled his dark hair from the boy's surprisingly firm grip, all the while supporting the little menace in the crook of his free arm.

He heard a familiar snicker and his frown deepened when he spotted the Sato siblings strolling through the front entrance. They were dressed in their grey school uniforms, backpacks slung over their shoulders and mischievous grins on their faces.

"Well, well, well, isn't this the cutest thing you'll ever see?" Kaisei teased, amusement playing in his blue eyes.

Fubuki hid a laugh behind her hand, though it was a futile attempt. Hiei knew very well how much those two enjoyed seeing him in misery.

"Make yourselves useful and watch him until his mother returns," he ordered holding the cooing boy out in front of him as far as his arms would stretch.

Kaisei's eyes widened, a look of panic crossing his features as he shook his head.

"No way, the kid cries every time I try to play with him!"

Hiei raised a brow at Fubuki and the girl smiled guiltily.

"I wish I could, but he's the same with me, too," she revealed.

Hiei scowled, bringing the boy back against his chest reluctantly.

"You seem to be doing pretty fine on your own, though," Fubuki commended. "You don't need us at all!"

"Yeah, you'd make a fine nanny one day, Hiei," Kaisei snickered.

He growled, though the action did not have its intended effect. The siblings only grinned harder at him and waved goodbye, before walking away while snickering amongst themselves. He was sure that they were thinking of ways they could use this moment to torture him sometime in the inevitable future and his scowl intensified.

"Hiei!" Shinji frowned.

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"Hair!" Shinji pointed at his hair and attempted to reach for it again, chubby fingers clawing through the air.

"Stop that," he demanded, glaring hard at the child.

Shinji only clapped his hands and babbled in response, as if this was some sort of game. Hiei still couldn't understand why the child was so happy around him, but he knew firsthand that a happy child was much better than a crying one. He only hoped the boy's mother would return before Botan found him; the last thing he needed was a picture being taken in "commemoration" of the moment.

He stared ahead, ignoring Shinji as he tried to swipe for his hair again. The ferry-girl was supposed to have met him down here minutes ago, but she was apparently taking her time. They were both due at the oaf's apartment for dinner, much to Hiei's dismay. He supposed his only consolation was the fact that Kuwabara mentioned something about having another dream, and they would finally know if their letter was found or not. Still, Botan could have received this information via text message, rather than in person. Going to the psychic's place of dwelling did not rank high on Hiei's list of priorities, not by a long shot.

"Thanks Hiei."

Maki had returned, pulling him out of his thoughts. He gladly passed the child off, showing no outward reaction as the boy waved goodbye despite the strange tugging in his chest.

As he turned his eyes towards the window to view the rapidly darkening sky, he watched the last remnants of fiery color fade. It was the third day since they sent the pendant off and nothing out of the ordinary had occurred as they went about their routines and habits as per usual.

Neither mentioned the fact that their time in this reality was running out; there was no point when their return was practically set in stone now.

"Sorry I'm late!" Botan's voice broke through the silence. She had done something different with her hair – some sort of braid that Hiei had no interest in learning about, but at least now he knew why she had taken forever to meet him. "Were you waiting long?"

In the past he probably would have responded acerbically, irritation leaking through his tone and laced in his features, but he felt none of that now. There was something calming in the way she regarded him, with fondness coloring her amethyst eyes.

He swallowed thickly, tearing his gaze away as he shook his head.

"No," he answered instead, wondering how and when he had gotten so soft.

-x-

Hiei ignored the little furry beast that kept weaving itself between his feet as he stood in Kuwabara's living room. The place was cleaner than he expected; sparsely decorated and mostly filled with books, CDs and toys for his cat. A savory aroma permeated the air, filing the apartment with a scent he had become familiar with.

"Kazuma is making your favorite," Yukina stated.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, ignoring the slight grumble in his stomach as he glanced towards the light from the kitchen.

"I don't trust him not to give us all food poisoning," he insulted.

Yukina shook her head fondly.

"You'll be surprised: Kazuma is actually a very quick learner."

"I find that hard to believe."

"I suppose you will just have to see for yourself," Yukina noted.

Hiei made a low noise of disagreement in the back of his throat, which did not go unnoticed by either of the women.

"Have you been teaching him to cook, Yukina?" Botan questioned.

She nodded.

"After Yusuke teased him about his lack of culinary skills, Kazuma was determined to get better," Yukina recalled. "He puts his whole heart and soul into it, like he does with everything else."

"That sounds like Kuwabara," Botan noted, looking off towards the kitchen.

Yukina smiled knowingly, following Botan's gaze. They both winced when a loud crash emanated from the distance, followed by Kuwabara's muffled grousing in the background.

"I'll go help him out," Botan offered eagerly. "I'm sort of curious to see how he's doing."

Yukina nodded her consent, stepping to the side to allow Botan to move forward.

The ferry-girl wasted no time skittering off towards the kitchen, only pausing to pet the feline. Once she was out of sight, he could hear her conversing with the oaf. If he tried hard enough, he could even make out their conversation, but he did not much feel like listening to the psychic gloat about how much better he was going to be than the detective, so he ignored it.

"Have a seat," Yukina invited, motioning towards the sofa.

He tried not to grimace at the fur that was deposited all over the cushions as he took up residence on a spot that was relatively clean. Yukina settled beside him, not saying a word. She had never been the talkative type and preferred comfortable silences, much like him. He saw her open up a leather bound book, so he took the liberty of resting his eyes for a moment. Despite the clattering of pots and pans in the kitchen and the cat's mewling, he was able to settle into a state of tranquility. He pushed most thoughts out of his head, removed all worries and doubts from his mind and simply focused on the moment. He had admittedly gotten much better at meditating upon coming to this world and he supposed that was only because he was faced with many trials that had stretched out the limits of his patience.

Though he had gotten better at meditation, he was no expert, and all it took was a quiet giggle from Yukina to break his concentration. She had been doing that for quite some time now, lost in the pages of that book she was reading. Eventually, he peeled his eyes open, casting her a questioning look.

"What is that?" he asked, sincerely hoping that it was not one of those trash novels that the ferry-girl loved so much.

"Oh, it's Kazuma's love sonnets," she revealed. "Would you like to see them?"

She shuffled closer before he could even answer, angling the book in his direction. His gaze lowered to the messy handwriting that filled the pages and he frowned.

"You're actually bothering to read this nonsense?" he asked.

Yukina nodded, unfazed by his blunt and rude way of speaking.

"It's interesting," she supplied.

"You and I both know you don't understand the senseless drivel that comes out of his mouth, much less the nonsense he scrawls down on paper," he pointed out.

There was something akin to fondness in her ruby eyes as the corners of her lips upturned slightly.

"I understand the intent and the feelings behind it," she replied.

"I don't see how you can. The fool barely makes sense on a good day."

"I suppose the learning curve varies for all of us. But from what I can see, you're no stranger to the language of love, are you brother?"

Hiei's brow crinkled in confusion.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing..." she smiled, turning her round eyes back to the page innocently.

"Yukina," he pressed.

She closed the book and placed it in her lap, turning her eyes to meet his. The way she regarded him was familiar, open and warm, and it no longer took him by surprise or made him feel uneasy.

"You may not write poetry or compose songs like Kazuma does, but you've got your own special way of showing that you care. And it's just as romantic, if Botan's happiness is any indication."

Hiei looked towards the ferry-girl's direction without meaning to and he could hear her laughter, light and melodic, flowing from the kitchen. She was usually caught in a perpetual state of excitement or good cheer, but he would be a fool not to notice that the smiles she had plastered on with the others and the ones that she reserved for him were different. He had never seen her as content as she was with him. And he had never been as at ease with anyone the way he was with her.

He was well aware that there was something vastly different in the way he treated the ferry-girl as opposed to the way he treated the others. Something foreign stirred within him when he thought of her and that pesky feeling increased tenfold when she smiled at him. He cared about her; he knew that much, but concepts such as friendship and camaraderie were still very new to him. It was a lot for a solitary creature such as him to wrap his mind around.

"Yukina!" Kuwabara suddenly bellowed. He stepped out from the kitchen in an unbecoming pink apron that appeared to be two sizes too small for him, holding a wooden spoon in one hand. "Did you like my new poem?"

"It was beautiful, Kazuma," she affirmed.

He grinned like the lovesick idiot that he was, before finally taking notice of Hiei. The enamored light disappeared from his charcoal eyes and his smile fell into a more neutral, relaxed line.

"Oh, hey shorty," he greeted, no malice in the old nickname.

"Oaf," Hiei returned easily.

Kuwabara looked between the twins, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand almost embarrassedly.

"I didn't mean to interrupt or anything," he began, dark eyes glancing off to the side. "Anyway, dinner's just about finished. You can come whenever you're ready, my sweet."

Hiei watched Kuwabara retreat, before raising a brow. Yukina was not at all surprised by the man's uncharacteristic behavior, but something wasn't adding up in his mind.

"What was that about?" he asked.

Yukina frowned in confusion.

"…What do you mean?"

"He has a habit of sticking to you like a leech and overstaying his welcome. I find it odd that he is keeping his distance now."

Yukina smiled softly in understanding.

"You know Kazuma respects our time together. He understands that it's important and doesn't want to intrude, even though I already told him many times that he wasn't."

Hiei bit back the response that Kuwabara's mere presence was an intrusion, instead choosing to digest the information silently. In his home reality, the psychic knew nothing of his relation to Yukina and would never leave her side when Hiei was near. The fool always claimed that he didn't trust him around Yukina, which was ridiculous for many reasons, but it meant nothing to him in the grand scheme of things. Back then he never much wanted to be left alone with his sister to begin with. He needed as much distance between them as he could get.

Things were different now.

Between birthdays, dinners, bar nights and weekend trips, her presence was becoming more and more of a constant to him. Having her around so often made interacting with her less of a trying experience. It became normal. _Easy_. Much easier than he ever thought it would be and much easier than he deserved.

"Shall we?" she asked.

He nodded, taking a stand and following after Yukina her. As they approached, he caught the tail end of a conversation, one that held his interest.

"Yeah, in my dream, I found a letter or something..." Kuwabara's low and gravely voice uttered.

"You did?" Botan probed.

"It was just there in the middle of this huge temple. I thought that maybe it was litter or something, so I picked it up."

"And?"

"It was actually addressed to Urameshi and Kurama and me. Turns out it was something important."

"Oh Kuwabara, you're a lifesaver!"

Hiei entered just in time to see Botan hugging the orange-haired buffoon tightly. He frowned at the display, wondering why she had to push herself up against him so closely.

"You sure do love these dreams," Kuwabara commented, cheeks red with embarrassment.

"You have no idea," she replied.

Kuwabara's nervous laughter came to an abrupt halt upon spotting Hiei and Yukina.

"I-It isn't what it looks like!" he explained hurriedly, panic seeping into his features as he shook his head.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, face stoic despite the irritation slowly building within.

"Hn, she is free to hug whomever she chooses, even if that so happens to be you," Hiei countered.

"Yes," Yukina giggled. "You needn't worry, Kazuma."

Kuwabara smiled nervously, scratching the back of his head with one hand hand as he patted Botan on the back with the other. Once she had her fill, she released him and skipped over to Hiei.

"It worked," she whispered, her words nearly drowned out by the sounds of Kuwabara's voice as uttered phrases of love to Yukina in the background. "Now it's only a matter of time until the others find a way to bring us back. Isn't that great?"

Hiei nodded.

This was a good thing, he reminded himself. No matter how good he had gotten at playing pretend, their reality was where he truly belonged.

He would no longer have to fake being in a relationship with the ferry-girl, nor would he have to share a living space with her. She would no longer send him those silly little text messages when they were apart, greet him with bright eyes at the end of each day or excitedly recount her moments without him in great detail. She'd no longer be around to hum those happy tunes, tease him about something inconsequential or pester him until he caved in and did what she wanted. She wouldn't sit with him in the comfortable silences and curl up against him at night.

She would be a world away and things would return to the way they were; to the way they were meant to be.

This is what he wanted all he wanted all along - he wouldn't deny that - but the distinct way his chest ached in that moment wasn't normal.

It wasn't right at all.

* * *

The following day, Botan returned to the apartment by herself. Hiei had told her that he would be late tonight and, while she did not think much of it at first, now that she was all alone, the thoughts that she had been pushing aside had returned to her in full force.

She looked around at the empty apartment pensively.

As great as it was to be returning to her reality, she would miss this place dearly. So much had happened. So many memories were created and she loved the apartment as much as she did her little room in spirit room and the guest room Genkai had kept for her at the temple. It had become her home, in many, many ways.

It would surely be a bittersweet feeling once she left this place for good.

A firm knock pulled her from her thoughts and she shook her head, dispelling all of those gloomy sentiments as she moved to open the door.

"Yo!" Kaisei grinned, raising a hand at her casually.

"Hey Botan," Fubuki joined in.

Botan smiled upon seeing the siblings.

"Come on in," she invited eagerly. "I wasn't expecting company, but I can whip something up if you two are hungry."

Kaisei shook his head.

"Nah, it's all good, we just wanted to hangout for a bit, if that's okay with you."

"It's more than okay," Botan replied honestly. She much preferred their lively company to the deafening silence of the apartment.

"Before we forget, here's one of dad's latest stories," Fubuki said as she handed over a paperback novel.

Botan's entire expression lit up.

"Oh, I was in serious need of new reading material!" she gushed, hugging the book to her chest. "Please give him my thanks!"

"He says it's more of a thanks to you, for always looking out for me and Fu," Kaisei replied sheepishly.

"While I appreciate the gesture, it's completely unnecessary," the bluette countered with a wave of her hand. "You know that I adore you both."

Kaisei grinned, a splash of red crossing his cheeks and the bridge of his nose as he made himself comfortable on the armchair.

After fishing out some snacks, Botan and Fubuki wound up on the couch adjacent to Kaisei. It was a low-key evening, time passing by quickly as Fubuki regaled Botan with stories of her latest crush and Botan took the liberty of braiding the younger girl's hair in an intricate style that she had learned from Shizuru. Kaisei made gagging noises in the background every so often as he flicked through the television channels disinterestedly.

Hiei returned shortly after, the scowl on his face and the hard set of his eyes not nearly as harsh as it often was when he came home to find surprise guests waiting for him. Botan supposed even he could tolerate the siblings when he knew that their time here was running short.

"Welcome back," she greeted cheerfully.

He afforded her with a quick nod of acknowledgement as he kicked off his shoes and relieved himself of his coat.

"Finally!" Kaisei said, sitting up from his slumped position. "We're in serious need of some more testosterone in here! I don't know how much longer I can listen to Fu ramble on about that pretty boy in her class."

Hiei raised a brow at the boy, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You can always go home, where you belong," he suggested flatly.

"Aw, but then I wouldn't get to see my favorite grinch!" Kaisei teased.

Hiei grunted at that, but said nothing more as he walked off. Kaisei practically jumped off of the couch and trailed behind the raven-haired man like a lost puppy, not at all put off by Hiei's gruff disposition. As the fire-demon retrieved a drink from the refrigerator, he halfheartedly listened to Kaisei's rambling. Though Hiei's mouth was still set in that familiar line of indifference, he focused his attentions on the teen nonetheless and Botan couldn't help the smile that stretched over her lips. The minutes ticked by leisurely, filled with easy conversation and lighthearted teasing. Though Hiei grumbled and complained, he did not attempt to leave, not once, and she could tell that he had developed a small soft spot for the teens somewhere deep down in his guarded heart.

-x-

Later that night, she and Hiei had settled into the plush covers of the bed, the warm light of the lamp on Botan's nightstand casting a soft glow around them.

She turned towards Hiei, who had pillowed his head beneath his arms.

"Say, Hiei?"

He raised a brow at her, silently prompting her to continue.

"If we weren't in this reality, what do you think you'd be doing right now?"

"..."

He always required a bit of coaxing when it came to casual conversation, so Botan decided to lead the way for him.

"I would most likely be on the night shift, ferrying some lost souls," she filled in. "How about you?"

"Training," he answered curtly.

"Really?"

"Why do you sound surprised?"

"I thought you might be involved in some super secret, clandestine military work or something..."

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, but Yusuke told me stories about his time at Raizen's place and it sounded thrilling. I'm sure it's never a dull day or night over at Mukuro's either."

"It isn't nearly as interesting as you're making it sound," he dismissed.

"You're only saying that cause you've already gotten so used to the excitement that it all seems commonplace."

"If you don't believe me, then come and see it for yourself when we return, woman," he challenged. "You'll soon realize that it is nothing like the strange fantasy you've conjured up in that unusual mind of yours."

Botan paused, a slow smile overtaking her surprised expression.

"...You mean... you'd actually want me to stop by?"

His expression tempered, nearly unreadable if it weren't for the slight furrow in his brow.

"That's not what I said," he defended stiffly.

"You sort of did..." she teased, biting back a smile.

"I really didn't," he maintained stubbornly.

"So you mean to say that I can't come over, then?" she pouted.

"Do what you want, ferry-girl," he relented. "Just don't complain to me when you arrive and the fortress isn't as ' _magical_ ' as you assumed it to be."

Her lips extended into a full grin.

"Oh, this is so exciting! I've never been to any of the Three King's territories before. Do you think I should wear something special?" She tapped a finger to her chin. "Should I bring a gift? What does Mukuro even like? Is she fond of-"

Botan paused mid-sentence, losing most of her fervor when she realized that Hiei had closed his eyes in an attempt to tune her out.

"It's awfully rude to ignore someone while they're speaking to you," she berated, poking him in the arm lightly.

He frowned as he cracked an eye open.

"Contrary to your beliefs, this bed was made for sleeping, not pointless chatter," he pointed out.

"Haven't you ever heard of pillow talk?" Botan tried.

He opened both eyes now, an almost wicked glint housed in his crimson gaze.

"You do know that pastime is exclusively reserved for after sex, don't you?"

"W-what?" she exclaimed, amethyst eyes opened wide as she recoiled from him slightly.

"That is quite literally what it means."

Botan let out a scandalized gasp.

"I-it's not just a term for casual talk in bed?" she asked, blue brows creasing in mounting horror.

"No, woman, it isn't," he answered.

"Oh my…" she breathed out, bringing her cool hands to her heated cheeks. "I should really stop using that term during sleepovers, then..."

"Hn, you really are out of touch with the way the world works," he mocked.

"And you're really mean and rude!" she countered, bottom lip jutted out into a pout.

"You seem to put up with it just fine," he pointed out.

"You're lucky that I do."

He made a noise in the back of his throat, eyes on the ceiling and expression softening into a more contemplative air. The look on his face caught her by surprise, quelling the ire that remained from their previous banter and setting her in a reflective mood herself. She wondered what he could be thinking about so seriously, with that far off and distant look in his eyes. She wondered if he was thinking about home, or if he was thinking about this world and the home they created here. She wondered if he might miss it at all; if their remaining time was slipping out of his fingers and causing his chest to ache, the way it was with hers.

She wondered if it even affected him at all.

"Hiei?" she began, her voice sounding more cautious than she would have liked.

He turned his head slightly towards her and Botan's will crumbled. Hiei never hesitated; he rarely regretted anything. Surely he would consider her musings to be sentimental at best and pathetic at worse.

"Never mind," she dismissed, with a slight shake of her head and a forced smile. "It's getting late; we should rest."

She extinguished the lamp at her bedside and darkness quickly filled the room. As she pulled the covers up and settled in, she scooted a little bit closer to the fire-demon. If he noticed, he did not seem to mind and he made no attempt to berate her for it or distance himself.

"Goodnight, Hiei," she whispered, eyes drifting shut as the warmth of his body lulled her to sleep.

"Sleep well, woman."

* * *

Hiei had been going through each day with the expectation that it would be his last, so he was a little surprised that he had made it to the end of he work week. He wasn't exactly on edge, but he had already prepared himself for the fact that everything in this reality would soon be nothing but a faded memory with the passing of time. His human coworkers and the complete and utter madness contained within the familiar walls of the police station would be replaced by the more violent soldiers and the scent of death and blood that ran through Mukuro's fortress. He would no longer be saddled with an eccentric partner like Haru - instead he would be in command of a legion of bloodthirsty soldiers who actually knew how to follow simple commands. He smirked at the thought.

"So," Haru intoned, popping up from out of nowhere, the way he often did. "What are you going to do for your anniversary?"

"My what?" Hiei echoed.

"Your anniversary… it's tomorrow!" Haru reminded him through a frown. "Don't tell me you forgot!"

Hiei grunted, keeping his gaze forward as he walked through the narrow hallway. It didn't matter much to him; he never paid much attention to sentimental traditions and he wasn't exactly in a relationship with the ferry-girl to begin with.

"What are you gonna do?" Haru asked, prodding him in the shoulder with the corner of a case file.

"Nothing."

"Don't be such a caveman, Hiei. You've gotta do something romantic to convey your love," Haru urged.

"I really don't."

"You really do!" Haru insisted. "You know Botan deserves it."

Begrudgingly, Hiei could not argue that. The ferry-girl deserved everything and then more for all that she had put up with when it came to him.

"You should do the works," Haru insisted. "Pull out all the stops. I think she'll really appreciate it."

She appreciated everything, Hiei thought to himself. He could pluck a weed from the ground and give it to her and she would react as though he has given her the moon. It really didn't take much to make her happy.

"Hey," Yusuke cut in, donned in only slacks and a rumpled white shirt. Even in this world and at this age, he still had a penchant for breaking the rules, simply because he could. "You're both coming to the bar, right?"

"I'm down!" Haru said. "It's only customary to kick off the weekend with a bang, right?"

"That's right!" Yusuke agreed, before casting his gaze on Hiei. "What about you, my short and angry friend?"

Hiei opened his mouth to protest, when Haru threw an arm around his shoulder.

"He's definitely coming," he answered surely. "Botan already told me that she'd be there, so we know that this guy won't be too far behind."

"That means nothing. The woman is free to do whatever she wants. Just as I intend to do," Hiei resolved.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Yusuke taunted as he retreated towards his desk.

Hiei scowled, shirking Haru off of him and continuing the trek to his own desk. There was a lot to do, as evidenced by the stacks of paperwork piling up on every surface, but Hiei was in no mood to deal with it. He pulled his phone out instead and was unsurprised to see a few texts from Botan.

' _Hiei~'_

' _I already know what you're going to say and my answer is no.'_

' _Pleeeeease?'_

' _No.'_

She sent him a string of those faces again and he rolled his eyes.

' _You know I hate those.'_

She sent another batch of faces out of spite and he was seriously tempted to break the device entirely when it vibrated again.

' _This may be our last chance to see the gang from this side!'_

' _You know I'm not that sentimental.'_

' _Well I am, so you have to come. Please!'_

' _I don't see why my presence makes a difference.'_

' _It makes a huge difference! It won't be the same without you.'_

He paused at that, reading the message a few times over until it sunk in. She had no problems saying such emotional things. It all came so easily to her. He sighed. He supposed if it meant that much, he could do it. It may be their last time, after all.

His phone vibrated again.

' _Besides, do you really want to leave me all alone and make me travel back home by myself at such a late hour?!'_

' _You're forgetting that the fox also lives in the same building. He can accompany you home.'_

He could almost see her, sitting at her undoubtedly overly decorated desk and wracking her brain for a suitable response.

' _...Oh, just say you'll come!'_ she sent eventually. He was just about to type out his response, when a second text poured in: _'I'll make all your favorite foods and I'll even do all of your chores for a week~'_

He smirked. She was too easy.

 _'You have a deal, woman.'_

' _Yay! I'll meet you at the station entrance at 5, okay?'_

' _Fine.'_

Hiei set his phone down, glancing up to see Haru grinning at him from across the table.

"What are you looking at?" Hiei questioned gruffly.

"Not much, just my head over heels partner," he replied, wiggling his brows teasingly.

Haru was always saying something unfounded and nonsensical, so Hiei pushed his words aside and instead turned his eyes to the mountain of paperwork that sat between them.

"You should mind your own affairs and get to work," he ordered, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair. "Those reports aren't going to file themselves."

Haru's expression fell, his mouth drawing into a frown as he looked back and forth between the paperwork and at Hiei.

"You aren't going to help at all?" he questioned miserably.

"No," Hiei answered simply.

"B-but you can't seriously expect me to do all of this on my own, can you?" Haru complained.

"I believe in you," Hiei said, his words undermined by his flat tone and the mocking look in his eyes crimson eyes.

Haru wilted in his chair and Hiei smirked. Sometimes, human world concepts such as seniority and tenure proved to be of use, especially on the good-natured types like Haru.

"This isn't fair at all," Haru grumbled under his breath.

"Hn. Life rarely is," Hiei returned.

-x-

It was a cold and dreary night, the complete opposite of the overcrowded and overheated atmosphere of the bar. Though the place was packed, their sizeable group had managed to secure a booth in the far corner. They had barely been here for an hour and he was already beginning to feel the makings of a headache forming behind his eyes. Haru and Yusuke were belting some silly old tune, Haru's tie wrapped around his head like a bandana and Yusuke's arm thrown around his shoulder. Kuwabara continued to sing praises towards Yukina, while she smiled at him as if he was the only one in the room. The rest of the women were excitedly chattering amongst themselves, until they roped the fox into telling them about his latest venture into the dating scene with that Maya woman. Hiei couldn't care less about any of that talk, so he simply tuned them all out and strummed his fingers on the tabletop impatiently. It was still early and he knew that the ferry-girl would not want to leave until much later, so he loosened his tie and resigned himself to his dismal fate.

"You seem a little tense," Kurama noted, his calm voice nearly drowned out by the commotion going on around them. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Hiei answered curtly.

"Then you should act like it!" Haru urged, breaking away from his ridiculous singing to give Hiei a thumbs up. "It's the freakin' weekend, live a little and enjoy it!"

Hiei rolled his eyes, annoyed that the entire table's attention was now on him. He didn't need advice from a half-drunk Haru, nor was he open to receiving criticism about his attitude. He had only come out because the ferry-girl wanted him to. It did not mean he had to pretend to have a good time.

"Haru makes a valid point," Kurama advised. "Though this may be the last place you want to be, spending a little bit of time with your friends and family can't be all that bad. Things could always be worse."

"Ah, lay off him," Yusuke cut in. "That's just Hiei's way. He's always been a glass half empty kinda guy."

"Really?" Haru said. "Cause even though he goes around with pretending that the glass is half empty, I kinda have a feeling that he really knows it's half full."

"Yes," Kurama nodded. "That sounds more accurate."

The others all made sounds of agreement – though Hiei did not exactly understand the point of this human adage, nor did he appreciate them talking about him as if he wasn't sitting right there.

"…Yeah, I'm not even going to pretend to understand what you guys are getting at, but what does concern me is the fact that everyone's literal glasses are looking kinda empty," Yusuke observed with a grin. "I think it's time for the next round."

"Oh no you don't," Botan interrupted, rising to a stand. "That shot you had us take was absolutely rancid!"

"Aw, come on, it was the good stuff!" he defended.

"It was disgusting," Shizuru stated, shuffling out of the booth to assist Botan. "This round is on us."

"Any suggestions?" Botan asked, hands on her hips, cheeks slightly flushed and amethyst eyes twinkling as she regarded the entire table.

"Something tasty!" Haru suggested.

"Not too sweet, though," Kuwabara instructed.

"Or bitter," Keiko added.

"Or pink," Yusuke insisted.

Botan considered all of their demands, nodding slowly.

"What about you two?" Shizuru asked, folding her arms over her chest. "Any preferences?"

"Hm, I'll leave it up to you," Yukina said amenably.

"As will I," Kurama decided.

"Now all that's left is you, Hiei," Botan pointed out.

"Just make it something good," Hiei instructed.

Botan's lips stretched into a knowing grin; she always knew what he was getting at with minimal effort.

"I've got just the thing!" she winked.

He watched the bluette walk away, his gaze fixed on her until she disappeared to a place he could not see. His eyes had a bad habit of trailing after her in the same way that every avenue of his mind seemed to lead back to her. Though he tried not to dwell on it too much, he could not figure out why that was.

"She's coming back, there's no need to look so wistful," Kurama teased lightly.

"Shut up," he grunted, downing the rest of his drink as the others began to laugh at his expense.

"Aw, it's nothing to be ashamed of! It's kinda cute," Haru continued to tease. "After nearly three years, you're still so in love!"

Hiei's heartbeat quickened in his chest, his entire body tense as he slammed his glass down onto the table.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard him, lover-boy," Yusuke ribbed through a playful smirk.

Hiei looked away from the scene, swallowing thickly as he tried to stop his mind from reeling.

 _Love_ …

It couldn't be.

He didn't know the first thing about love, in fact, he was almost certain that he wasn't capable of the emotion at all, but the tightening of his chest and the rapid beating of his heart claimed otherwise.

' _Oh nothing, just my head over heels partner.'_

' _Y_ _ou're no stranger to the language of love, are you brother?_ _'_

' _Dude, you're so sprung.'_

Those words echoed in his mind distantly, over and over and increasing in volume until they finally sunk in. Haru, Yukina and Yusuke… they had all pointed out his obvious affections for the ferry-girl on numerous occasions, but he had been too blinded by his own ignorance to realize it. He was too inexperienced to notice that he had somehow fallen for the woman and all of her eccentricities. Too oblivious to see that the camaraderie he had felt between them had warped into affection and that affection had burrowed within him so deeply that it had become an undeniable part of him.

That was why all of their interactions stayed with him. That was why he had given her so many allowances and done things for her that he would never consider doing for anyone else. That was why she was able to get so close to him and why her words affected him so. This affection - this longing - was the very thing that had been twisting him up from the inside out.

A revelation such as this one should have unsettled him greatly, but instead he found solace in learning the truth. It was as if the jagged pieces of his confusion and doubt had been smoothened and slotted in their proper place. He was aligned once more, standing on steady ground and filled with a newfound clarity. It all made sense now that he had finally determined a reason behind that strange ache in his chest.

"We're back!" Botan sing-songed, returning to the table and reclaiming her seat beside him.

Their fingers inadvertently brushed together as she handed him his glass of cinnamon whiskey and, strangely enough, he felt no need to shirk away. He had been harboring these sentiments for so long now that there was no sense in denying them, nor was there any pressing need to shelf them away and pretend that they did not exist.

He simply let it be.

That was all he could do at this point.

* * *

The following afternoon found Botan stretched out on the couch lazily. She was still in her pajamas, her hair tied up in a messy bun and a blanket wrapped securely around her form. Technically, today was the other Hiei and Botan's anniversary, but it held little significance between herself and Hiei. Besides, she had gotten the fire-demon to go out yesterday and she did not want to push her luck by attempting to do something special today.

Her phone pinged and she stretched an arm to retrieve it from the table. She had just received a message from Koto and couldn't help the look of displeasure that passed over her features.

"Why are you frowning down at your phone?"

Hiei's voice surprised her and she sat up to see him dressed in black jeans and a long-sleeved white sweater. He looked good, _really_ good.

"Well?" he pressed.

Botan shook out of her stupor, embarrassed that she was practically ogling the man. She glanced down at her phone again, remembering the matter at hand.

"Uh... Koto's requesting that we come in for some overtime today," she revealed. "There's a big account that we need to secure next week."

Hiei was silent, so she continued.

"I don't really want to go, but it's not as though I have any reasons not to, other than my own laziness, that is."

"You have a reason," he began lowly.

"...I do?"

"It's the anniversary of our counterparts," he said tightly, as though it pained him greatly to say it aloud. "We should... keep up appearances."

Botan blinked twice, unsure if she had heard him correctly or if she made it all up in her head. She opened her mouth to respond, but it was futile. Her surprise had dried up the words in her throat and made it hard to form a coherent thought, much less an audible sentence.

When she failed to react, Hiei sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I'm saying that I'm taking you out, woman," he declared, glaring at her almost impatiently.

"You're taking me out?" Botan repeated, brows lifting hopefully. "Really?"

"Really," he affirmed. "So tell the cat demon that you're preoccupied."

Botan nodded eagerly, smiling ear to ear as she typed in her reply message. After hitting send, she snuck a glance at Hiei. His arms were crossed over his chest now, mouth pulled into a neutral line as he stared ahead. Mere weeks ago she would have had to beg Hiei to go out someplace nice and enjoy the peaceful leisure that this reality brought, so she was more than surprised by this turn of events. Even so, she was not the type to question her good fortune, so she simply rolled with it.

"Where are we going?" she questioned, unraveling herself from the blanket as she took a stand.

"You'll see when we get there," he answered cryptically.

"Ooh, I just love surprises!" she gushed, clapping her hands together.

"You love everything, woman," he pointed out unhelpfully.

"Not everything…" she defended, before shaking her head and getting back on topic. "Anyway, is there a dress code to this affair?"

"No, but you should wear something warm."

Botan figured that was as good as she would get out of him, so she nodded.

"Got it, I'll be ready in a jiffy."

She made quick work of throwing on a new outfit and fixing her hair into its signature ponytail, before allowing Hiei to lead them to the bus stop. She was surprised that they were going far enough away that they would need to take the bus, but she kept her musings to herself. Taking a seat near the window, her excitement grew as the bus drove farther and farther away from their quaint little neighborhood.

Hiei sat beside her quietly, arms folded loosely across his chest and shoulders relaxed. His gaze was concentrated, but less sharp than usual, and his face lacked the scowl lines that usually appeared when he was in public. There was something undoubtedly different about him today. It was as though he had claimed a newfound calmness in his countenance, an assurance that was not there before. She wasn't quite sure what could have brought about this change, but she did not want to question it. He was at ease and that was all that mattered.

-x-

"Wake up, woman," Hiei's voice pulled her from her sleep.

Botan opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the vestiges of sleep as she removed her head from his shoulder. She didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep, much less that she had used Hiei as a cushion.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly, gaze falling in embarrassment.

He grunted dismissively, taking a stand and looking towards the bus' front entrance.

"We're here," he revealed.

Botan stood up, securing her purse around her shoulder, before trailing closely behind Hiei. The rush of cold air should have been enough to wake her up entirely from her lethargic and dazed state, but the sight she was greeted with was what eventually did the trick. The streets were filled with color, lined with vendor stalls and decorations, while taiko drums could be heard in the distance.

"We will have to walk the rest of the way," he told her.

Botan nodded, words failing her in that moment. She could only trail after him as he meandered through the crowd and eventually led her into the heart of the city. Dancers were dressed to the nines in traditional wear and bright costumes, while banners and decorations adorned the streets. _O'Hara Festival_ , she read to herself.

"Hiei… this is all so wonderful!" she exclaimed, turning to him. "How did you even find out about all of this?"

"It was in his phone's calendar," Hiei replied, motioning down to the black device in his hand. "He had it planned all along."

"I see…" she smiled. Even if her Hiei hadn't come up with idea, he still decided to follow through of his own volition. The thought brought her more joy than it should have. "Well, this is the most spectacular surprise. I've always loved festivals!"

"Hn, like I said, you love everything."

She joined arms with him and grinned.

"Not everything! But, really, this was very sweet of you to do."

He looked away and if it wasn't for the cold, she would have thought that he was blushing.

"Let's go," he said, directing her to a spot where they could see the performances better.

The festival seemed to come alive as the sun set and the early November chill set in. Botan clapped along to the beat of the drums, a grin stretched out on her lips as happiness ran through her. The crowd was upbeat and alive, cheering along loudly from all sides: Every now and again she would glance over at Hiei, to make sure he was all right. He appeared to be fine – as fine as an antisocial guy like him could be – she supposed.

It was awfully nice of him to take her here, she thought to herself. Her heart warmed considerably when she thought of just how much he must have wrestled with this decision. She was grateful that he decided to go through with it in the end, because this was one of those memories she would never forget.

-x-

The full moon had risen high in the sky, the darkness of night held at bay by the lights strewn amongst the place. Though the show was still going on, she and Hiei had wandered off towards the vendors, tasting samples of different foods and sweets while strolling down the street leisurely.

"Do you remember how crazy things were when we first arrived here?" she recalled.

He finished off his last takoyaki, throwing the stick in a wastebasket as they moved on.

"I couldn't forget it even if I wanted to."

"It wasn't exactly easy back then, but I think we've done a fine job making the best out of our situation," she said. "Especially you, Hiei."

He made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, woman," he discouraged.

"I'm being serious!" she said, nudging him lightly with her shoulder. "You should be proud of how well you've adjusted to everything."

"You made it easier than it should have been," he admitted lowly.

"So did you," she confessed. "That's why I'm really glad that you're the one who I ended up here with. It's been really… nice."

"…"

She stopped walking, pouting at him expectantly.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything back?"

"I told you before: out of everyone else on the team, you were the best choice," he replied, pushing his hands in his pockets as he turned away. "That hasn't changed."

Botan's expression softened, warmth blooming in her chest and spreading outwards. Hiei had a habit of speaking such thoughtful and moving sentiments in such a blunt and outright way. The lack of emotion or tact should have diminished all intent, but it never did in his case. Hiei did not speak lightly, nor did he say what he didn't mean, and that's why she cherished the moments when he spoke from the heart.

As they fell into a slow and unhurried pace, Botan scanned the streets. Children were chasing after each other, making use of the new toys they had gotten at the vendor stalls. Lovers shared enamored looks. Friends laughed amongst themselves. A couple held a burning prayer stick, eyes closed as they silently made their wishes. The thought occurred to her to try it as well — only, she couldn't think of a single thing that she wanted or needed right now.

Though the future was still uncertain and there was no telling when all of this would end, right here, in this moment, she was truly happy.

* * *

Hiei hated crowds and humans and festivals, but even he had to admit that the combination of all three wasn't nearly so bad tonight. The look on the ferry-girl's face was more than enough to settle his unease and the cold, fresh air was soothing against the heated emotions than surged within.

He did not know the first thing about romance or affections nor had he any idea concerning what he was going to do with the revelation that he _liked_ the woman, but underneath the lantern lights with the taiko drums beating in tune with the rhythm of his pounding heart, he wanted to tell her the truth. Perhaps it was a result of her incessant need to release every thought in her mind rubbing off on him, or perhaps he had been unconsciously holding it in for far too long. Whatever the case may be, he knew that he would have to tell her eventually.

He glanced at her while she was too distracted to notice. Ever since they had arrived at Kagoshima City, the woman's disposition had been at an all time high. A smile remained etched into her features, joy sparkling in her eyes as she took in all the sights. He wondered if that smile would fade once he told her the truth; if the synergy built up between them would be broken down by the words he was about to say.

"Botan," he said lowly.

She turned her eyes away from the spectacle, regarding him with a soft smile.

"Hm?"

He steeled himself against the brightness of her gaze, finally understanding what that pesky flutter running through his chest meant.

"There's something you should know," he began.

Botan nodded at him encouragingly, her expression open and bright. It was now or never. He took a deep breath, preparing to tell her the words he never thought he would say, when a sharp instinct sliced through his consciousness. The feeling buried in the pit of his stomach, causing his pores to raise and his heartbeat to quicken. His senses were suddenly in overdrive, eyes narrowing as he glanced around them suspiciously.

"Hiei?" Botan tried, taking a step closer towards him and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What-?"

And then it happened: the scenery around them blurred and warped, images distorting wildly and losing their shape. The cacophony of sounds muted, sounding more distant than they appeared, before disappearing all together.

Time seemed to freeze, colors bleeding into one another until a blinding light consumed them both. For a brief moment, all of his senses faded into a state of disorientation. He could feel nothing but an empty void surrounding him and then in the next instant, everything came rushing back to him at once. He blinked, eyes adjusting to the scene playing out in front of him. The streets were once again filled to capacity, the dancers danced on, the drums were still beating and most importantly, Botan was still beside him. All appeared to be the same, but Hiei knew that everything had changed. The air was different, a little heavier, and the power that was once lost to him was coursing through his veins again.

He summoned a small wisp of energy, unfurling his fist to reveal a single dark flame dancing in the palm of his hand.

There was no mistaking it; they were back.

They were home.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.

Drop a review and let me know what you thought!


	21. Chapter 21

Botan watched the dark flame swirl around in Hiei's hand, mesmerized by the sight. If he was able to summon his energy again, then that could only mean…

"We're back," Botan breathed out numbly. "We're home…"

Hiei closed his fist, extinguishing the fire entirely as he brought his crimson eyes to meet hers.

"It seems so," he agreed.

There was something akin to regret in his tone and in the sudden shift in his countenance. It seized her heart and froze it in her chest as the implications of their homecoming finally dawned on her.

"Hiei…" she began, her gaze softening as she took a step closer to him.

He looked away stubbornly. Whether it was because he did not want her to see his expression or because he did not want to talk about it, she would never know. Judging by the rigidity of his posture and the tension in his features, it probably wasn't a good idea to press the issue. Her gaze fell away from his form, turning up towards the sky instead. She tilted her head curiously at the crescent moon that stared back at her. She could have sworn it was full back in the other reality.

"Something is wrong," Hiei said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"This isn't the same festival as before," he clarified, eyes narrowed as he scanned the crowd.

Botan followed his line of sight into the mass of color and people. The dancers were nowhere to be found and the streets were less decorated than before. Though she could still hear the distinct pounding of the drums, the music that accompanied it was less traditional and more energetic. Even the air was a little warmer than it was in the other reality.

"Do you think we might have been transported elsewhere?" she questioned.

He shook his head.

"We're still in the same city."

Botan's lips pulled into a frown.

"Maybe we were sent to the wrong reality, then?"

"No," Hiei denied. "This is ours. I can feel it."

Botan's frown deepened as she glanced around them. Nothing was making much sense as of late, but she knew that she could not afford to start panicking now.

"We should try to contact the others…" she advised, digging through her purse until she had come upon her cellphone.

"That won't work," Hiei said quietly. "Not here."

Botan's fingers froze over the keypad as soon as she realized what she was doing. They were home now and it only stood to reason that the device wouldn't work anymore. Her expression fell as she lowered the phone and returned it to her purse. Normally, she would have used the communication mirror or simply hopped on her oar, but both of those options were impossible to her now. She had left the communication mirror in the other reality and her oar was broken in two during the scuffle with Hachiro. There really was only one option left, though she knew that Hiei would disapprove.

"Perhaps you could make use of your telepathic skills?" Botan suggested hesitantly. "I know that you hate it when the others ask you to relay messages, but – _oh my goodness_ – Hiei!"

When she requested that he use the jagan eye, she did not expect for him to use it at this exact moment. He currently stood in the midst of the crowd, third eye bared for all to see with his arms folded across his chest. They were lucky that no one had spotted him summoning the darkness flame, but there was absolutely no way that one of the festival-goers wouldn't notice a giant, glowing eye in the middle of his forehead. She clamped a hand over the jagan, ignoring the way he glared at her and the defiant way the jagan glowed brighter as wisps of light shone out from between her fingers.

"Woman-" he warned.

"Don't you think it best we find someplace more private first?" she whispered imperatively, motioning to the people around them with her free hand.

"Hn, let them see," he scoffed. "It matters little to me."

"And that is exactly the point! The last thing we need is another mention of 'alien' sightings and funny little caricatures of you popping up in the tabloids," she stated, ruffling his bangs so that they hid the jagan. She looped an arm through the crook of his, pulling him towards the opposite direction. "Come on, this way."

He allowed her to lead him to a more secluded and secure spot, putting up little resistance as she brought him to the place where the dango stall was previously set up in the other reality.

"Alright," Botan nodded, placing her hands on her hips as she gave one last surveyal of the area surrounding them. "We should be clear here."

Hiei grunted out a sound of acknowledgement as he closed his eyes and opened the jagan. His expression was stoic and, if it not for the bright light emanating from the large purple eye, she would have assumed that he was meditating or had somehow fallen asleep while standing up. The slight twitch of his brow was the only indication that he had made contact with someone and, after quite some time, he finally opened his eyes again.

"The fox says a portal should be three blocks north."

"Great," Botan replied, turning towards the aforementioned direction. "We'd best make haste, then."

Hiei pushed his hands in his pockets and stalked ahead wordlessly. It was clear that their return did not settle well with him, she could see it in the frustrated way his feet met the pavement and sense it within the barest spike of his demon energy. Although she wanted nothing more than to talk to him about it, she knew from experience that the best course of action was simply to leave him be. Perhaps if they were in the other reality, she might have tried to break past his impenetrable wall, but back in their own reality, she hesitated. The invisible divide had somehow risen between them again and she was not sure if she had the right to cross it just yet.

So she followed him silently, keeping her thoughts to herself as they rounded the corner and came upon the aforementioned portal. Hiei motioned for Botan to go first and she moved on autopilot, passing through the distortion one moment and then coming to her senses in the safety and familiarity of Koenma's office in the next.

Botan only had a brief moment to take in the sight of the team – Koenma in his toddler form, round eyes opened wide as the mafukan rested haphazardly between his parted lips, Yusuke standing tall, proud and victorious beside him, Kuwabara grinning with excitement in his charcoal eyes and Kurama regarding her with a warm and knowing nod – before Hiei appeared beside her in a flash of light.

"Damn, if it isn't good to see you two again!" Yusuke said, crossing over to pull her into his embrace.

"It's good to be back," she replied, hugging him tightly. She did not realize how much she missed everyone until they were within arm's reach again.

"Are you both okay?" Koenma asked.

"Yes sir," Botan answered, upon releasing the former detective and turning to regard the prince. "Like I wrote in my letter, the reality we were sent to was relatively safe."

"That's a relief," he breathed out, shoulders falling as he sunk back against his oversized chair. "I was worried something terrible might have happened."

"We were lucky to end up where we did," she stated, glancing over at Hiei.

He seemed tenser than he had been in a long time, the set of his jaw and his shoulders stiffer than necessary. She was unsurprised to see that guarded look back in his eyes; the one that made him seem so unreachable.

"What was that other world like?" Kuwabara questioned. "It's kinda freaking me out to see shorty dressed like a normal person for once."

Botan glanced over at Hiei. He cut quite the figure in his charcoal coat, jeans and dark boots, but she understood Kuwabara's confusion. Hiei glared irritably, a fight sure to erupt had she not quite literally stepped between the two.

"The other reality was just like your world," she answered quickly, capturing Kuwabara's attention and diverting Hiei's. "Except everyone we knew – spirit and demon alike – were all human."

"Though you were still a hapless fool, no matter the place or time," Hiei added acerbically, eyes hard as he sneered at Kuwabara.

"Hey!" Kuwabara huffed, taking a step towards the fire-demon.

"Cut it out," Yusuke interrupted, before focusing his attentions back on Botan. "So you're saying there was no spirit realm or demon one?"

"That's right," she affirmed.

"Fascinating," Kurama stated, curiosity coloring his emerald eyes. "I wonder what became of the souls that passed on in that reality?"

"I…" Botan paused, mouth falling open slightly as she failed to find a suitable answer. "I have no idea."

"Fortunately, it isn't something that either of you had to worry about," Koenma pointed out. He clasped his hands together as he regarded them. "You both look well. Better than I thought you'd fare, considering you were left to your own devices for two weeks."

"Two weeks?" Botan echoed, brows drawing together in confusion. "At least two months had passed in the other reality."

"It isn't entirely strange for time to run differently between the two realities," Koenma mentioned. "In fact, it is the norm."

She should have expected that possibility herself, but too much had happened in the span of a few minutes and her head was still spinning. Now that she had the luxury of slowing down and processing it all, it was all starting to make sense. The time difference must have been why they ended up at a completely different festival than the one they had been at in the alternate reality. That also explained why the weather and the moon's phase were both different as well.

Yusuke whistled, breaking the silence.

"So, you mean to tell me that you guys managed to survive in that reality for two whole months? Kudos."

"You severely underestimate me if you think I couldn't last two months in a human world. I've been subjected to longer," Hiei stated, referring to his probationary period all those years ago.

"Yeah, but this time you were stuck with your polar opposite with no means of escape," Yusuke teased. "I'm kinda impressed that you two didn't drive each other insane."

Hiei's gaze fell away, mouth slanted into a frown.

"...You shouldn't speak of what you don't know, detective," he answered simply.

Yusuke was too taken aback to press the issue any further and as he openly stared at Hiei in mild confusion and surprise, Botan managed to catch the distinct glint of suspicion in Kuwabara's eyes and the interest held within Kurama's observant gaze. She found it ironic that her relationship with Hiei was being scrutinized back in the comfort of their own reality, where they did not have to pretend to be something they were not. While she understood just how different she and Hiei were, she did not think it warranted this much of a reaction. Yusuke turned his attentions towards her, raising a brow and prompting her to explain. She opened her mouth, but the words were trapped somewhere between her heart and her throat. In the other reality, what she and Hiei had was private and secret. She was not sure if she wanted to reveal any part of it now. Thankfully, Koenma cleared his throat and brought everyone's attentions back to him.

"You two were able to keep up the ruse, correct? Nobody suspected that you weren't from that dimension?"

"The only person who knows was the one who sent us there," Hiei replied firmly. "And he will no longer be an issue."

"So you guys managed to find the demon," Kuwabara acknowledged with a serious nod. "That's good. Who knows what kind of trouble he could have caused otherwise."

"Well… actually… we may have… sort of… decided to let him go," Botan confessed sheepishly.

"You what?" Koenma balked.

"We let him go," she repeated. "It turns out he was a pretty decent guy, when all was said and done."

"Decent guy?" Koenma squawked. "He's a thief, a defector and who knows what else! Souls like his hardly turn out to be decent guys, Botan!"

"He may have done a few questionable things, but it was all for the sake of reuniting with his family!" she explained. "He meant no harm, sir, all he wanted was to live out the rest of his days with his loved ones."

"That bleeding heart of yours has always been troublesome," Koenma sighed his brow furrowed underneath the weight of his oversized blue hat. "And now there is no telling what he will do once he realizes that you two are gone."

"But-"

"Sorry, even I gotta agree with pacifier breath here," Yusuke admitted, cocking a thumb in Koenma's direction. "Do you honestly think he won't do something devious now that he's got free reign?"

"We both chose to leave him be," Hiei declared, before she could get another word in.

"Yeah, and it was a stupid decision," Yusuke countered. "We all know you don't care about what happens in that other reality."

"Yusuke!" Botan admonished, ready to jump to Hiei's defense.

"You're right," Hiei interrupted. "I don't care about the affairs of another reality, but the ferry-girl does. She would not have left the defector there if he was a threat."

Botan's expression softened, her heart warming in her chest as she smiled gratefully at the fire-demon. His features did not move from their stoically hardened state, but she could see the acknowledgment resting in his crimson eyes. It was short-lived, though, vanishing the moment he set his sights on Koenma's tiny form.

"Rather than wasting time lamenting over what can't be undone, I'd prefer to get some answers," Hiei continued. "How did you bring us back?"

"You have Suzuka to thank for that," Koenma informed. "Once we learned which reality you were in, he was able to procure the artifact necessary to bring you both back. The rest is history."

"I see," Hiei said. "And what will become of our counterparts?"

"They should have returned to where they belonged," Koenma answered. "As for the time that they missed out on, there is no telling how they will rationalize that."

Botan's lips slanted into a frown. She did not mean to make things so difficult for them. They would undoubtedly be very confused and disoriented upon returning to a reality that had gone on for two months without them. The only thing that brought her some solace was the fact that they were together. She supposed they could make it through anything so long as they had each other to lean on.

Koenma's intercom beeped, drawing Botan's gaze downwards.

"Sir, the portal is ready," Jorge announced.

"Understood," Koenma said, before ending the connection in favor of regarding the fire-demon. "I suppose that's your cue, Hiei. I'm sure you're eager to return to Makai."

Hiei's expression did not waver and he took his leave wordlessly.

"I'll see him off," Botan announced, not bothering to wait for anyone's opinion as she followed after the retreating fire-demon.

Hiei stalked ahead several paces away, only turning to face her once they were far enough from Koenma's office. It was louder out here, the chaos and hubbub of the spirit world moving all around them, and she found that she much preferred this setting to the stifling atmosphere of the office.

"You didn't have to accompany me," he stated, though his tone lost all of the harshness it held back when he was speaking to the others.

"I know, I just…" she trailed off, wringing her hands together nervously. "There was something you wanted to say earlier… I was hoping you might tell it to me now."

Botan could not forget the way he had looked at her in the other reality: that warm glow in his crimson eyes and the softer set of his features. He was going to tell her something important and she was afraid that she would never get the chance to hear it if he did not come out with it now.

"…"

"Hiei?" she pressed.

He glanced around at the ogres running around frantically, the hysteria of the spirt world moving around them as he met her gaze once. This time, the look in his eyes was unreadable.

"It doesn't matter now," he said lowly.

"Are you sure?" she tried, taking a step closer to him.

"Positive," he replied.

That single word felt like shards on her skin and Botan tried her best to mask her frown.

"I…" Botan began, unsure of what to say. She did not want him to leave; not like this. In fact, she had the overwhelming urge to hug him and refuse to let him go. But that was silly. Composing herself, she regarded him with a forced smile. "I suppose I'll see you around, then."

Hiei nodded, before setting off.

She watched him walk away, wondering why it felt as though her heart was breaking into a million pieces.

* * *

Hiei clenched his fists at his side, keeping his eyes forward and determined not to look back at the ferry-girl. If he had prolonged their goodbye - if he had lingered near her for any longer - he was not sure that he would have been able to leave.

So he tempered those pesky sentiments that arose whenever she was near and suppressed the urge to remain at by side. He ignored the ache in his chest as he trudged forward and made his way towards the portal.

This wasn't a final goodbye; he would see her again. There was no need for dramatics or sentimentalities, and, yet, he still stopped to glance back at her. She had a frown on her lips and a sad look in her eyes that didn't suit her at all and he suppressed the wave of guilt that threatened to rise in his chest.

He was in no state of mind to be making any sort of definitive decisions right now. He needed some space and time to ruminate over what his return meant for the two of them and he couldn't very well have that with the woman distracting him with those inviting eyes and her magnetic pull. It wouldn't be fair to either of them if he didn't think things through, so he allowed himself this last look, before nodding and turning away again. He tempered his expression as he stepped into the portal; pushing all other thoughts out of his mind the moment the wind currents shifted and he was transported to the demon world.

The first thing he noticed what the heavy quality of the air, filled with a mix of energies and drenched in the scent of death and chaos. He took a deep breath, allowing it to fill his lungs as he turned his eyes towards the red sky. It was filled with dark clouds and the intermittent lightning bolt flashed ominously. Thunder echoed in his ears, though it was clear that no rain would actually fall. This tumultuous land was home; he was really back.

He trudged towards Mukuro's fortress, the stronghold standing as tall and imposing as ever. As he entered the front gate and made his way inside, he gained the attentions of many, some even stopping to stare at him in surprise. He supposed he looked strange dressed in the human world clothes of his counterpart, but it did not bother him. Some of the soldiers managed to greet him through their shock and he simply nodded in acknowledgment as he made his way into the throne room.

Mukuro sat with one hand propped up on the arm of her chair, her head cradled in her hand.

"Welcome back," she said, her tone flat as she regarded him. "The prince did mention that your arrival was imminent."

"Hn, I take it nothing much has happened in my absence."

"For the most part," she replied. "Though, if you had maintained the telepathic connection long enough for me to tell you the pendant's properties, perhaps we could have avoided all this."

Hiei's mouth pulled into a tight line. He distinctly remembered Mukuro trying to laden him with more information than he deemed necessary, but he had stubbornly broken the telepathic link between them in lieu of taking action.

"Though I can mostly assume based off of your choice in outerwear, I admit that I am curious: which reality did you land in?" she questioned.

"One without any supernatural elements. Everyone was pitifully human, including you."

"Interesting," she said. "I do wonder how you managed to survive for two weeks, much less two days under those conditions."

"Two months passed in that other reality," he corrected.

The slight raise in her brow was the only sign of her surprise.

"My question still stands: how did you maintain your sanity for the better part of two months?"

"I had the ferry-girl..." he admitted lowly.

Mukuro's posture straightened as she stared at him.

"You mean the eccentric, blue-haired chatterbox that always accompanied the son of Enma to the tournaments?"

He nodded, his chest tightening at the thought of her.

"It's a wonder you both made it back in one piece. I'm impressed."

Hiei's gaze snapped to meet hers defensively.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he challenged.

Mukuro maintained the eye contact evenly, her expression unchanging as she elaborated.

"The ferry-girl appears to be an amalgamation of all the things you dislike and we both know that your temperament leaves much to be desired."

Hiei gritted his teeth in anger. Though her summation was far kinder than what he had thought of the ferry-girl in the past, the way Mukuro was talking about her did not settle well with him. The words were leaving his mouth before he had a chance to contain them, much less filter them.

"It was easier living with her than you would think," he revealed. "The woman had ample knowledge of the human world and she was a far cry from useless."

Mukuro's features sharpened slightly, her lips edging upwards just a fraction.

"Is that so?"

He clamped his mouth shut, lips drawing into a taut line as he averted his gaze.

"If I didn't know you any better, I'd think you were fond of her," she tested.

"I'm not," he lied stiffly.

Mukuro stared at him a moment longer, clearly unconvinced. He did not like the feeling of being analyzed. He had only just accepted his feelings for the ferry-girl and the fact that Mukuro had seen through his guard so easily was disconcerting.

"What about the defector," she asked, mercifully changing the subject.

"I left him there."

"Alive?"

"Yes," Hiei answered.

"I shouldn't be surprised. You were always merciful at the most uncharacteristic times," she concluded as she took a stand.

He frowned, but did not comment on her shrewd observations. Instead, he looked around the large throne room, taking a deep breath to center himself.

"What of the recruits?" Hiei asked eventually. "Did we receive any prospects worthy of testing?"

"Not really, though there is one other I should mention."

Hiei's brows furrowed at her ambiguous words.

"What do you mean?"

"Follow me."

He trailed after her, taking in the grotesque walls and the stench of blood in the air. It had been far too long since he walked these halls, so he simply soaked it all in quietly. Mukuro led him to the personal quarters, stopping at the room to the left of his and knocking on the door once. The figure that greeted them on the other side was unexpected: a familiar head of orange hair, twinkling green eyes and a lopsided smile. He was wearing a casual pair of dark green robes, popular in the demon world and indicative of his status as a non-fighter.

"This is-"

"Haru," Hiei filled in, a bit surprised and even deeper down a bit relieved to see that the man was alive in this reality.

"I wasn't aware that you were already acquainted," Mukuro stated casually.

Haru scratched his head in confusion, eyes squinting as he looked down at Hiei.

"I don't think we've met before..." he admitted.

"You haven't?" Mukuro echoed.

All eyes fell on Hiei, but he was in no mood to elaborate.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hiei questioned instead, his gaze hard and demanding.

While it was a good thing that his former partner hadn't met his untimely demise in this reality, his presence here made absolutely no sense. Mukuro's fortress was no place for a peace-loving idiot like Haru; he would surely get himself killed sooner than later. Hiei honestly could not tell what Mukuro was thinking, giving him a room as though he was expected to stay permanently.

"Haru is... an advisor of sorts," she explained. "Though he is a bit eccentric, his skills are exceptional."

"This fool?" Hiei questioned incredulously.

"Hey! You hardly know me," Haru protested, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning down at Hiei.

"I know you well enough," he countered.

Haru's features twisted into a look of suspicion as he took a step away from Hiei.

"...You're not, like, a stalker, are you?" Haru asked warily.

"No," Hiei denied vehemently. "You were my... we were..."

Mukuro folded her arms over her chest as she waited for a suitable explanation.

"I knew him in the other reality," he answered vaguely.

Mukuro nodded. "Interesting."

Haru inched closer towards Hiei, his entire countenance lifted.

"You knew me in that other world?" he asked, his tone shifting the way it did when he was excited. "What was I like?"

"A talkative nuisance," Hiei provided.

"Then there was not much of a difference," Mukuro noted.

Haru frowned, looking at them both through reproachful eyes.

"It really isn't fair of you both to gang up on me like that, you know!"

Mukuro smirked, but did not comment on it as she proceeded to bring him up to speed.

"Haru possess the ability to read emotions and intents, which makes him quite handy in certain situations."

It did not seem all that strange to Hiei. The other Haru was always keenly perceptive and a bit too intrusive and nosy for his own good. It only stood to reason that he would have such empathetic abilities as a demon.

"But don't worry – I don't use my unique talents unless I absolutely have to," Haru reassured.

Hiei raised a dark brow, prompting Haru to continue.

"I'm saying that I won't start reading your deepest, darkest emotions, so you don't have to feel uncomfortable around me," he clarified.

"That won't be an issue; you'll find that such sentiments and emotions have no hold over me," Hiei said.

"Sure they don't," Haru teased.

Hiei's eyes narrowed, an insult on the tip of his tongue when Mukuro interrupted.

"He is still adjusting to this place and he is no fighter, so I expect you to look out for him when you can," Mukuro stated.

Hiei bristled.

"I have no intentions of babysitting-"

"It's not babysitting," she cut in sternly. "Haru is of use to us; you are protecting my best interests in keeping him alive."

Hiei gritted his teeth, but nodded stubbornly. She was still his superior and this was her fortress. It was his duty to follow orders and if protecting Haru from his own idiocy was what she wanted, then that was what he would do.

"I will leave you two to it, then," Mukuro said, giving Haru a pointed look. "I believe there was something you wanted to tell him."

"Right… of course…" he said, looking uneasy all of a sudden.

Haru watched Mukuro walk away, features pinched as though he wished she had stayed. Hiei had a feeling that whatever the orange-haired man was about to say was something unpleasant, so he steeled himself.

"Spit it out," the fire-demon ordered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Haru met his gaze hesitantly.

"Uh, well…the day you disappeared was my first day here. I kind of left the vault open... and I guess that's how Hachiro got his hands on the artifact..." Haru confessed. "I wasn't thinking... I was a little star stuck that Mukuro sought me out and I guess I didn't have my head on straight."

The tension drained from Hiei's features as Haru's words sunk in slowly. In essence, what Haru was saying was that this entire fiasco was entirely his fault. Somehow, Hiei was not all that surprised. If Haru had been more careful, perhaps Hachiro would have been caught before he had the chance to enact his plans and Hiei would have never been thrown into the other reality. He would have never learned how far his limits could stretch. And he would have never gotten to know the ferry-girl the way he did now. For those reasons and more, he could not find it within himself to be angry.

"I know a lousy apology doesn't amount to much, but I really am sorry," Haru continued. "I'll make it up to you somehow, I swear."

Hiei shook his head.

"What's done is done," he decided firmly. "I don't care about the past."

Haru blinked, eyes wide in disbelief as though he did not trust his ears.

"You sure?"

"I don't like repeating myself."

"O-okay," Haru relented.

Silence fell upon them, but Hiei could not ignore that strange look of mirth that passed over the other man's expression. He was fighting back a smile and Hiei couldn't understand why.

"What is it?" he demanded to know.

Haru grinned fully now.

"It's just... I heard you were extremely volatile, but you're actually a decent guy, Hiei."

"I'm not-"

"I have a feeling we'll get along just fine!"

"We won't-"

Haru slung an arm over his shoulder, the way he often did in the other reality.

"Get off of me," Hiei grumbled, pushing him aside roughly.

Haru's laughter echoed off of the walls and, for a brief moment, Hiei almost felt as though he was back in the other reality.

* * *

The days that followed took quite a bit of adjusting on Botan's part. She had once again donned her pink kimono - though the layers of clothing felt foreign and far too restrictive at first, it had only taken a few days for her to get used to it again - and was gifted with a brand new oar. She threw herself into ferrying souls, taking up extra shifts to chase away the sleepless nights and the slow days and she filled her free time with the company of whoever she could find: ferry-girls, ogres and friends in the human world.

It was fairly easy to keep up appearances, but she could not hide the truth from herself and she could not ignore or dispel the ache of loneliness than ran deep within her.

So, just for today, Botan decided that she would allow herself to wallow in it. She returned to her bedroom, trudging past the various pictures of her friends pinned up on her pink walls and flopped down onto her plush sheets. She should have found the familiarity of her room comforting to her, but instead, she missed the muted colors of the apartment and the man who occupied the other half of her bed.

This was home, but it felt so empty.

Botan reached for her counterpart's phone and scrolled through the images. Rereading old texts with Hiei brought a fond smile to her face, but even that would not last. Once the phone's battery died, she would lose all physical traces of their time together in the same way that time would fade and chip away at her memories until they became nothing but hazy recollections.

She glanced at the vacant space beside her and wondered how Hiei was faring. She played with the idea of visiting him one more than one occasion, but always chickened out in the end. Even if he did say that she was welcome to stop by, she was afraid that he might not necessarily want to see her now that they were back in the true reality. He had already begun to act closed off the moment they were ejected from the other world and she wondered if things truly were different now; if their return to their reality had reset the clock on their relationship and returned things to the way they used to be.

Her communication device beeped, causing her to sit up in surprise. She fumbled around through the folds of her sleeve and pulled the compact out, taking a moment to compose herself and put on a more pleasant expression.

 _'Botan here!'_ she reported upon flipping the cover open.

 _'Botan, you were supposed to be in here ten minutes ago!'_ Koenma's shrill voice cried out.

Her eyes widened. She had completely forgotten that Koenma had requested her presence that afternoon.

 _'I-I'll be right there, sir!'_

As she stood up, she took a moment to hurriedly smoothen out the wrinkles and creases in her kimono. She retied her ponytail and checked her reflection in the mirror, nodding in satisfaction before heading out the door. The smile she fixed on her face was practiced and phony, but no one seemed to notice as she made her way down the long hall that led to Koenma's office.

The ferry-girl briefly wondered what sort of business Koenma might have for her. Things had been quiet lately - as quiet as it could get in the spirit world - and she could not think of a single reason for him to summon her now. She knocked once and the automatic doors slid open, revealing the bright colored tiles and furnishings of his office.

"Good afternoon," Botan greeted cheerily. "I'm sorry I'm late, I completely lost track of—"

She trailed off, jaw slightly agape as she took in the scene. She had expected to see Jorge standing at his Koenma's side, but instead she found two very familiar faces.

"Yo," Kaisei said, raising a hand in a casual gesture.

"Hello," Fubuki replied.

She blinked several times, joy overtaking her heart when the siblings did not dissipate into thin air.

"What are you two doing here?" Botan questioned as she drew closer towards them.

"You're looking at the newest spirit detectives," Koenma revealed, before looking back at the teens. "And this is Botan, one of our best ferry-girls. She will be your assistant from now on."

Botan blinked.

"W-what?"

"I'm assigning you to be their assistant," he repeated.

"Really?" she asked, expression lighting up eagerly.

"You've been moping around lately, so I figured a little change of pace was in order," Koenma stated with a slight smile. "Do you have any issues with this?"

Botan shook her head as pure joy welled up from within.

"None whatsoever."

"Good, I figured you were our best bet. After working with Yusuke, you're just about suited to work with anyone," Koenma commended.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Kaisei asked, pinning Koenma with a look of offense.

"It means Botan will be able to deal with your brand of insolence," Fubuki filled in helpfully.

"Lay off, you'll give her a bad impression of me!"

Fubuki crossed her arms over her chest.

"Fine. She'll see what a dweeb you are all on her own."

"Fu!" he complained.

Botan smiled as the two began to bicker amongst themselves. She did not expect to see the teens again, not unless she actively sought them out, and the fact that she was going to be working closely with them was a stroke of good luck. The teens looked and acted exactly the same as they did in the other reality; it was almost as if nothing had changed at all.

She cleared her throat and took a step forward, gaining everyone's attention as she did so.

"I think the three of us will get along swimmingly," she announced.

Kaisei stopped glaring at his sister long enough to shoot a grin in Botan's direction.

"So do I."

Fubuki rolled her eyes knowingly at her brother, before smiling politely at Botan.

"We're in your hands," Fubuki said with a bow. "Please take care of us."

She smiled at Koenma, before turning back to the teens.

"It will be my pleasure."

* * *

Hiei was slowly coming down from the high of battle, adrenaline still coursing through his veins and demon energy crackling around him as he stalked down the halls. The familiar weight of his sword rested against his back, he could hear the recruits training down the way and the scent of danger was thick in the air. This was home. This was what he had longed for all along, and yet, no matter how right this felt, something was off.

"You sure do have a lot of enemies," Haru said, falling in step with Hiei as he stalked down the large walkway.

"I know."

"This is the third time we've been attacked since word of your return has spread."

"I'm well aware."

"I managed to catch a glimpse of the fight," Haru noted conversationally. "Your skills really are as fearsome as they say."

"And you were as useless as I perceived you to be."

Haru gave him a half shrug in return.

"What can I say? I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Hiei scoffed as they rounded the corner into their shared hallway.

While he appreciated the thrill of a good battle, the frequency with which these skirmishes arose was a stark reminder of just how dangerous this world was. He had amassed a great deal of enemies over the course of his stay at the fortress and the relative peace of the other reality had almost made him forget how cutthroat his life could be.

If he had gotten involved with anyone, then they would surely be targeted and used as a weak point. It was partly the reason he had distanced himself from Yukina and it was also a flimsy excuse as to why he had yet to seek the ferry-girl out, despite every fiber of his being telling him to.

"So, what are we doing for the rest of the evening, buddy?" Haru asked, nudging Hiei with his elbow.

Hiei frowned.

"I'm going to rest," he said pointedly. "You need to stay far away from me."

The other man's features dropped into a pout.

"I thought we could hit the town or something."

"You can do whatever you want, so long as you leave me out of it."

"Aw, you're no fun, Hiei!"

"So I'm told."

He closed his door behind him, returning to his barely furnished bedroom. Everything was the way it should be, except for the wallet and cellphone he had carried over and failed to dispose of. The phone did not even work the way it was supposed to here, but when he turned it on, he saw the woman's image and he could not let it go. It had been less than a week without her and he found himself thinking of her more than he cared to admit. He wanted to seek her out – he would not waste his energy denying that – but things were different now.

He was the general of one of the most bloodthirsty armies of all time and she was an agent of the spirit realm. The worlds they hailed from were in constant tensions and the very essence of their souls was contradictory.

Things weren't as simple as they were in the other reality.

He lay down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling restlessly. Sleep had been eluding him and his mind raced with all sorts of infernal thoughts. Blue hair and bright eyes often plagued his dreams, along with a soft smile and a comforting touch. If he concentrated, he could almost feel the smooth warmth of her hand on his or the way she often curled into him in the middle of the night, her body pressed against his and her scent invading his senses.

A knock broke him from his thoughts.

He stalked over to the door angrily. If it was Haru, the man would pay for interrupting his peace. As he wrenched the door open, he was surprised to see one of the maids, looking at him expectantly.

"I've come to take your laundry."

Normally, he would have stepped to the side and allowed her to carry out her tasks, but he stood rooted to his spot. The first time he had allowed her to take his clothing upon his return, he was loathed to admit that his preferences had changed. Whatever procedures they used in the fortress were much different than the methods of the human world and, as a result, his clothing ended up rougher and stiffer than he would have liked. Even the scent was different.

"That won't be necessary," he stated simply.

Her brows lifted, eyes widening in surprise.

"E-excuse me?"

"Leave it be," he instructed.

Her expression pinched into a worried frown.

"But-"

"I prefer to do it myself," he answered, figuring he could do a better job.

She took a moment to process his words, before nodding compliantly.

"Alright, if there is anything else you need just let me or the other girls know…"

She bowed respectfully and then closed the door behind her. He knew it was strange, but he didn't care. He had gotten used to doing these domestic things for himself and he preferred it that way. After all of that taunting the woman had given him over being equated to a pampered prince, his pride wouldn't allow it. He could almost hear the ferry-girl teasing him now and something fierce burned in his chest.

He picked up the cell phone. The battery was running low and perhaps when it died, he would finally incinerate it like he should have. For now, though, the image on the screen captured him more than he would ever admit. He allowed himself to stare at it a bit longer; his expression softening into a look that he would deny to the grave if anyone else was around.

* * *

Kuwabara stepped out of Koenma's office, having just met the newest spirit detectives. It was surprisingly thoughtful of Koenma to invite Urameshi, Kurama and himself to officially meet them – even if Urameshi had already done so years ago and even if Kuwabara had seen them once or twice in his past dealings with the spirit world. The Sato siblings were around the same age as he was when he first started out and, though he enjoyed his life just fine now, he sort of missed the good old days. He was sure the kids were in good hands with Botan as their assistant and if they ever needed any help, he had no problems stepping in to defeat the bad guys again.

He smiled to himself. Kazuma Kuwabara, hero extraordinaire.

He broke out of his fantasies just in time to see Botan in the distance. He would have greeted her, had it not been for that uncharacteristic look on her face. She appeared to be saddened over something and Kuwabara couldn't figure out why. He thought she would be happy to be back home and away from the shrimp and his bad moods. Her shoulders fell as she trudged towards the direction of what he could only assume was the ferry-girl's quarters.

"Urameshi…" he began.

"Hm?"

"Don't you think there was something a little… off between Botan and the runt?"

Yusuke's brow arched.

"What do you mean?"

He tore his gaze away from the direction Botan headed off to and scratched the back of his head.

"I can't really explain it… Something just feels different."

Yusuke paused to consider it for a moment, rubbing a hand over his chin in contemplation.

"They did just return from another reality. Maybe their energy is off-kilter or something?"

"No, it's not that," Kuwabara said with a shake of his head. "I can't put my finger on it, but something about them just seemed... different."

"You gonna elaborate on that or am I supposed to magically fill in the blanks?"

"I don't know... I can't explain it," Kuwabara sighed. "They just seemed odd. The shrimp, especially."

"Hiei's always weird," Yusuke shrugged dismissively.

Kuwabara couldn't help but snicker at that.

"You got that right."

"I'm thinking they just need a little time to adjust, is all," Yusuke decided. "Don't overthink it."

"Alright," Kuwabara relented. "I guess I'll let it go."

"I don't believe you should," a new voice interrupted.

The psychic yelped, turning around to face Kurama.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" he berated.

"I was behind you two the entire time," Kurama revealed.

"Then make more noise next time!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

Kurama shook his head, amusement clear in his emerald eyes as Yusuke chuckled.

"For all your talk of spiritual awareness, you're pretty unobservant," Yusuke quipped.

"I was distracted!" Kuwabara defended himself.

"Yeah, on a hunch that probably isn't even there. Careful, your ESP might be on the fritz again."

"Urameshi!" Kuwabara bellowed angrily.

"What? It wouldn't be the first time your psychic instincts led us astray!" he accused.

"It was only the one time!" he argued.

"Yeah and that was just about he most embarrassing thing that'd ever happened to me, so I'd like to not relive it."

Kuwabara rolled his eyes.

"You may not be entirely wrong," Kurama supported, causing Kuwabara's frown to lift.

"Seriously?" Yusuke said, giving him a flat look. "You're hopping on this bandwagon, too?"

"I'm surprised you did not sense the shift in their behavior as well," Kurama commented. "It seems to me they both learned some valuable lessons in that other world and have changed as a result of it."

"I don't know guys, my detective intuition isn't picking up on anything," Yusuke said, tilting his head in confusion.

"Give it some time," Kurama said. "They may very well surprise you yet."

* * *

The following day, Hiei found himself in the human world. He had only meant to check on Yukina through the use of his jagan, but somehow, he had ended up outside of the old woman's temple instead. It was a far cry from the other reality, clean and maintained and well kept. The koi pond wasn't overgrown with moss, nor was the temple itself broken down in shambles. It was whole, sturdy and strong.

Yukina sat outside, glancing down at the bird that had perched itself on her finger. Though she was smiling, there was a hint of sadness in her ruby-eyed gaze. He stepped forward and the bird bristled and flew away, finally alerting Yukina to his presence.

"Hiei," she said, eyes wide as she took a stand. "I wasn't expecting company. Was there something you needed?"

He shook his head.

"Not particularly," he answered.

She still seemed a bit surprised, but her features relaxed into a more comfortable look.

"Would you like to come in?" she urged. "I just made tea and it would be a shame to let it go cold."

He should have returned to Makai, but he could not bring himself to follow through with the fleeting thought. Instead, he nodded his assent and followed her inside the compound. She led him to one of the larger rooms, where he took a seat around the small, wooden table. Yukina headed off to the kitchen, and though his eyes could be playing tricks on him, she seemed a great deal happier than she had been when she was alone.

He strummed his fingers against the tabletop absentmindedly as he looked around himself. He had never made a habit of spending much time here, but he had always thought the place was extremely normal looking for a temple that housed one of the strongest physics of the human world. The room was sparsely decorated, a few sitting pillows surrounding the table and an old piece of artwork hung on the wall. He could hear Yukina gathering the drinks in the kitchen and soon enough, her light footsteps carried her back to him.

"I wasn't sure what you liked," she said as she set a cup of oolong tea in front of him.

"This is fine," Hiei replied, bringing the porcelain to his lips and taking a sip to prove a point. As the liquid rolled on his tongue and slid his throat, he refrained from showing any outward reaction. The bitter flavor wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't exactly to his liking, either. The other Yukina would have known that, but Hiei had never given his sister the chance to know him in this world. He had kept her at arm's length, and he was beginning to wonder if that was the right course of action.

Both hiruiseki stones rested against his chest, hidden underneath his the material of his cloak and scarf. The stones always felt heavier in Yukina's presence, a stark reminder of the shameless way he had been lying to her for years now.

There was no honor in what he was doing with her; he knew that, now more than ever.

Perhaps he would tell her the truth someday. For now, though, this was enough.

"I must admit, I'm a little surprised," Yukina began, her hands folded in her lap as she regarded him. "You don't make social calls, especially not without the others."

He held her gaze.

"I know," he admitted.

"But I am glad that you stopped by," she admitted. "I appreciate the company."

He nodded wordlessly.

The silence that fell over them was heavy and awkward. It was nothing like the synergy they possessed in the other reality and Hiei knew that he was to blame for that. If he wanted to bridge the gap, he would have to take that first step. He just did not know how.

Crimson eyes glanced around observantly. It was quiet for miles. He did not know where the old woman was, but the only signs of life were contained in the forest. Yukina seemed starkly small and lonely in a place like this and he frowned.

"Yukina."

"Hm?"

"Are you content here?"

Her brows lifted in surprise.

"Being confined to the temple all day - does that make you happy?" he clarified.

"I'm not confined, but I do like this place. It's peaceful."

He nodded.

"And there is much to do. I take care of the plants... and I visit some of the animals in the forest," she continued. "I'm never lonely with now that I live with Genkai and Kazuma comes to see me regularly. Shizuru even takes me around the city when she has free time. It's nice, even if it is a bit crowded and loud for my tastes."

"Hn, I dislike the crowds, too. Especially the kind in the human world."

She smiled knowingly.

"It still takes a little adjusting, especially after the way I was raised in the glacial village."

He nodded in understanding.

"And you?" she questioned.

"Though I grew up with a band of thieves, I broke away and lived a solitary life as well," he explained, realizing that perhaps they had a lot in common. "It suits me."

"But you joined up with Mukuro, didn't you?" Yukina pointed out. "Things must be different now that you have pledged your allegiance there."

"I didn't expect to stay for this long," he divulged. In fact, when he first came upon the fortress, he was willing to die there. He had intended for his journey to end in the fire of a glorious battle. But Mukuro kept him alive. She redirected his life and he found purpose once again. It was home, even if it hadn't felt that way lately. "I suppose Mukuro's fortress has become to me what this temple is to you.

"That's good," she smiled.

This time, the silence that settled over the two of them was a little more natural and familiar. For a moment, it was as if they could be in the other reality, with Botan and the oaf in the kitchen, making more noise than necessary.

But all that lay outside of this room was an empty and quiet kitchen. And the ferry-girl was nowhere to be found.

"Is something wrong?" Yukina asked carefully.

The other Yukina had the uncanny ability to read him better than most, even going as far as deciphering his expressionless gazes and determining when something weighed heavily on his mind. He attributed it to the fact that she was afforded the opportunity to know him closely in that world, but he was starting to wonder if it was more of a biological thing, since the Yukina of his world was apparently capable of performing the very same feat.

"Why do you ask?" he questioned.

"You seem a little... distracted," she answered. "Is something bothering you?"

"...No," he denied.

Yukina's smile softened; it was clear that she hadn't fallen for his lie.

"You are happy to be back, aren't you?" she tried.

Hiei hesitated. 'Happy' wasn't exactly the right word. This was where he belonged. He knew that. But at the most inopportune moments, he would think of the other reality. And when that happened, he almost always ended up thinking of the ferry-girl.

"Does this have anything to do with Botan?" she pondered, eyes wide in innocence.

Hiei's gaze widened, wondering how she could have possibly come to that conclusion. As far as he knew, ice maidens held no psychic abilities.

"She visited me the other day," Yukina began to explain.

His heart quickened against his will.

"The ferry-girl was here?"

"Yes, in fact, she was sitting right where you are now," Yukina recalled. "She told me all about your time in the other reality. It sounded fascinating."

Fascinating didn't begin to cover it, he thought wryly, but he nodded nonetheless.

"You both spent a great deal of time together..."

"We did," he admitted, seeing no point in denying the obvious truth.

"And now that you're apart, you feel the distance, don't you?"

His forehead creased as he frowned.

"It sounds so sentimental when you put it into words," Hiei admitted.

"Maybe, but that doesn't undermine it," she reassured gently.

Hiei averted his gaze, unable to maintain eye contact when she was seeing right through him. He took a deep breath, gathering his wits and steeling himself again. There was no point in pretending he wasn't interested in the topic of the ferry-girl - not when Yukina was clearly better at reading him than he had given her credit for.

"What else did she tell you?" he asked eventually.

"Well... she said that sometimes she misses the other reality," Yukina revealed. "And I think she misses you, too."

Something akin to guilt struck him as he remembered Botan's words. She didn't want things to go back to the way they were. She didn't want him forgetting her or overlooking her like he did in the past. He told her that he wouldn't and yet - for all she knew - that is exactly what he had done by staying away.

He always kept his word and he did not feel like breaking his promise to her.

Perhaps there was no reason not to at least see her. Just for a moment.

Reaching a hand out, he grabbed a hold of the tea cup and downed it contents entirely. He rested it back down on the table, fixing Yukina with a meaningful look.

"I prefer it sweeter," he told her as he stood up.

Yukina's pleasant expression fell, disappointment creasing her features.

"I'm sorry-"

He shook his head.

"I should have told you sooner," he interrupted, keeping his gaze on hers steadily. He should have told her a lot of things sooner, he thought with an inward sigh, but he had time to amend that. His expression softened somewhat as he continued. "I just thought you should know... for next time."

Yukina understood his vague words faster than he expected. Hope returned to her ruby eyes as a slow smile stretched over her lips. She had never looked at him like that before, not in this reality.

"I look forward to it," she replied.

Hiei nodded his goodbye, feeling much lighter than before as he took his leave. He did not venture out too far, slowing to a halt on the outskirts of the forest as the wind whistled past the trees and the sun reached its zenith in the cloudless sky. He undid his bandana and focused on pinpointing the ferry-girl's distinctive energy signal. She was far too easy to find and entering her mind was nearly effortless. He would have to teach her how to better guard her mental state in the future, but for now, he had gotten what he needed.

 _'Botan.'_

 _'…Hiei?!'_ she said. _'Hiei is that really you?"_

It was admittedly pleasant hearing her voice again; even if it was in his mind and not filtered through his ears and even if she had projected much louder than needed be. The tension built up within him was beginning to unwind and the tightness in his chest loosened, making each breath lighter than before.

He wanted to see her and that was exactly what he'd do.

 _'Where are you?'_

* * *

Get it, get it Hiei! :)


	22. Chapter 22

Botan smiled to herself from behind a hedge of thick bushes. She had managed to locate Maya easily - she still owned the same shop, after all - and set up a meeting between the brunette and the spirit fox under somewhat deceptive, but well-meaning intentions. She had left an anonymous note near the register of the flower shop, prompting the woman to meet her mystery admirer in the park and had then requested Kurama's presence at the same time, under the false pretenses of Spirit World business. Their immediate attraction was deniable; it was clear that Kurama was harboring the same feelings he did in the other reality and Maya - even without her recollections - was undoubtedly lured into Kurama's gravity. They were talking about something or the other, but Botan was too far away to catch anything of substance. Her knees and back were starting to ache from the strain of her crouched position, but she resolved to see this thing through. She was in the middle of contemplating how she could feasibly get closer to the couple, when a new wind blew in, warm and crackling with energy. The ferry-girl placed a hand on her chest, her heart skipping a beat as she sensed the presence of another. She knew it was _him_ long before she turned to confirm her suspicions.

"Hiei…" she breathed out.

Standing before her was the very one she had been longing for. Her eyes traveled upwards from his black boots, to his signature coat and white scarf. His expression was softer than usual, scowl lines absent and red eyes calm as he stared back at her.

"Botan," he returned lowly.

Her heart picked up its speed as she stood up to face him fully. Her feet were glued to the ground, but her hands itched to reach out and touch him, to prove that this was real and not some fantasy conjured up by her overactive imagination.

"You're here..." she managed to say.

"I am," he confirmed, taking a step closer.

They stared at each other wordlessly, until a blur of movement from the corner of her eye recaptured her attention. Botan glanced over at the oblivious couple, before looking back at the fire-demon in alarm.

"Oh no, Hiei, get down!" she urged, ducking behind the bushes once more. When he made no attempt to move, she continued. "Come now, before you blow my cover!"

Hiei tensed, hand hovering over the hilt of his sword as he surveyed the park through narrowed eyes.

"You should have mentioned that you were in the middle of a mission sooner, woman," he admonished.

"No, it's nothing like that," she reassured, raising her hands in defense. "I sort of set up a surprise meeting between Kurama and Maya. I was only making sure that it all went off without a hitch."

Crimson eyes glanced towards the couple in the distance, before a look of realization eased the tension in his features.

"You were spying on them," he accused flatly.

"No! Not spying… I was simply observing," she defended lamely.

"Hn." Hiei straightened to full height, arms coming to rest at his side as he relaxed. "You're sorely underestimating Kurama if you don't think he already knows you're here."

"He hasn't caught sight of me at all, now get down here!" she said, yanking the fire-demon down until he was crouching the way she was.

"This is ridiculous," he groused, mouth set into a frown.

"Shh!" Botan brought a finger to her lips. "They'll hear you!"

Hiei sighed, looking back at the pair disinterestedly through the gaps in the bushes. Botan leaned forward a little, following the way their mouths moved in an attempt to decipher their conversation.

"I wish I knew what they were saying," she lamented.

Hiei scoffed as he turned away from the scene and took up a more position.

"It isn't anything of consequence - not unless you were particularly interested in talk of the weather and the plants growing around the area."

Botan turned towards him and blinked twice.

"You can hear them?" she asked, pointing a finger in the couple's direction.

"Of course I can."

Amethyst eyes lit up.

"Then you can tell me exactly what's going on!" she insisted, hands clasped together as she leaned towards him.

Hiei's brow furrowed, a clear sign of his displeasure.

"No."

"Please?"

"I said no."

"Pretty please?"

"I refuse."

"But-"

"I didn't come here to spy on the fox and his latest conquest," Hiei interrupted firmly.

 _He came here for her._

The words were unspoken, but she heard them all the same. Her excitement died down as the realization set in. She had gotten so distracted over Kurama and Maya's budding romance that she didn't even think about the fact that Hiei sought her out and was now at arms length. She had had missed him terribly over the course of the past few days and it really was silly of her to get caught up in anything else while he was at arm's length.

"I'm sorry," she began. "You came all this way to see me and I've been very rude."

Hiei sighed, the tension draining from his features as he looked away.

"Save your apologies. I know that your curiosity can't be helped."

The ferry-girl didn't know whether that was meant to be an insult or a consolation, so she simply let it go and repositioned herself into a more comfortable sitting position. Fiddling with her hands in her lap, she set her sights on the raven-haired man cautiously.

"I didn't expect for you to come all the way out to the human world," Botan began conversationally. "I thought you hated it here."

"I do," he agreed. "But I wanted to see Yukina."

"With your own eyes and not through the jagan?" she asked.

"Yes."

"She's doing well," Botan relayed.

"I surmised that from our conversation."

"Yes, yes," she nodded, before realizing what he had said and nearly choking on air. "You didn't just come to watch her from afar? You actually spoke to her?"

"Yes."

"Of your own volition?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Hiei! I'm so proud of you," she exclaimed, suppressing the urge to pull him into a tight embrace like she would have with Yusuke or the others. "And I'm sure that you made Yukina's day with your little surprise visit."

He made a noise in the back of his throat, though she could not tell if he was agreeing with her or not.

"So, how did it go?" Botan asked. "I'm sure it must have been a little disorienting, considering the way things were in the other reality."

Hiei was quiet for a while, crimson eyes staring at a point in the distance. He was thinking of Yukina, his gaze always relaxed like that when it came to her.

"It was easier than I thought it would be," he answered lowly.

Botan smiled, warmth blossoming in her chest. She knew that he would eventually bridge the gap between himself and Yukina. He simply needed some time.

"That's wonderful, Hiei. I'm so happy to hear that," she said, placing her hand over his and squeezing it for good measure.

He stared down at their joined hands and Botan cleared her throat, removing it quickly. Perhaps it would have been normal for her to cross such physical boundaries between them in the other reality, but things were different in this world. Every interaction felt heavier, more weighted, than the one in the other dimension. She didn't know why that was.

Botan brought her eyes back to his form, regarding him with a look that she hoped was casual and not at all as nervous as she felt.

"…Um, so... how have you been?" she asked.

"Fine," he answered curtly.

"Feels good to be home, huh?"

Hiei paused, before answering.

"I suppose so."

"It also feels a little… strange," she admitted. "I still think about that other reality a lot."

Hiei did not say anything, so she continued.

"I've even been spending a lot of time in the communal kitchen lately. I've gotten so used to cooking that I don't think I can stop!" she confessed.

"…I do my own laundry now," he revealed.

"So do I!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"It's become a habit," he continued through a frown. "Though the end result isn't the same as it was in the other reality."

Botan understood immediately - she had come across the same problem, after all.

"That's because you've got to use the human world detergent and softener."

He crossed his arms over his chest tightly, expression hardening into a stubborn look of dismissal.

"Hn, don't be ridiculous."

"Seriously, Hiei! There's something magical in theirs that we don't have in the spirit world," she argued. "I'm sure that's the case in the demon world, too."

His expression faltered slightly, but he did not reply.

"I can get some for us. I remember the brand name and everything," she tried.

Hiei's shoulders fell slightly, features easing until they settled into a look of indifference.

"What do you say?" she pressed, poking him in the arm for good measure.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"…If you prefer to waste your time and energy on something so trivial, then far be it from me to dissuade you," he answered.

Botan blinked. She had expected him to put up more of a fuss, but instead he had caved in far too easily. He must have wanted this all along, she realized as she bit back a smile. It was nice to know that she could still read him, even now that they were back in their reality.

"Alright, then." She nodded. "Consider it done."

Silence fell over them as the winds rustled through the leaves and the birds chirped overhead. While Hiei was busy staring out at the expanse of the park, Botan took a moment to drink in the sight of him. Black hair defied the laws of gravity in the same way that Hiei often did, and the blue highlights and white starburst of his hair stood out starkly under the bright rays of the sun. His white bandana could be seen beneath a mass of bangs, hiding the jagan from view. Dark lashes framed angular, sharp eyes and his crimson pupils continued to survey the area surrounding them observantly. She noted the faintest hint of dark circles shading his lower lids. For the briefest moment, she wondered if he had trouble sleeping lately, the same as her, but she dismissed the thought. Hiei was an important part of Mukuro's army and he must have had a lot to catch up on after his two-week absence. There was no way he stayed awake thinking about the other reality and thinking about her, the way she did with him.

Her gaze continued its downward trajectory, tracing the slant of his nose and the outline of his lips, passing over his jaw and moving downwards until she came upon his right arm. She spotted bandages peeking out from where his coat sleeve ended, and she could see the head of his dragon tattoo on the backside of his hand. His sword was deposited on the ground beside them, sheathed and concealed. His energy was powerful, even in his base state, but he was still Hiei: the man who she had come to know in his barest form and stripped of all pretenses. This was the man who waited for her at the end of a long day and walked her home; who took care of her when she wasn't feeling well. Who - despite his impulsive nature - had learned to slow down and consider her feelings before acting upon a whim.

He would always be that man at his core, despite the many differences between them and the contrary nature of their beings.

Her heart warmed in her chest, tendrils of affection uncurling and spreading out everywhere. This was what she was missing all along.

"Hiei?"

His gaze snapped back to view her.

"What is it?" he asked, prompting her to continue.

There were so many things she wanted to ask him; so many things she wanted to tell him, but instead she settled for safer topics.

"What have you been up to at Mukuro's?"

"The same as always," he replied. "Training and the occasional excursion."

"I hope you haven't been overdoing it, mister," she warned.

"I know my limits," he declared.

"Says the man who nearly crippled himself during the Dark Tournament," she reminded him pointedly.

Hiei stiffened at that, before recovering quickly.

"It all worked out in the end."

"Miraculously."

"Hn, what about you, woman?" he countered, eyes narrowed accusingly. "You have a habit of overworking yourself and stretching yourself far too thin. I'm sure you are doing the same, even now."

Botan looked away guiltily. She had been taking extra shifts lately, but that was only because she was so restless.

"I'll have you know, I've been doing what I've always done," she replied eventually, trying to be as vague as possible. "Not much has changed on my end. Except I do find myself wondering about the others from time to time."

"The others?"

"You know, our friends from the other reality."

"They're all here."

"Yes... but I especially miss little Shinji and Haru."

"You've neglected to mention those infernal siblings," Hiei noted.

Botan smiled.

"That's because-"

She paused - interrupted when her communication device let out a series of beeps.

"Excuse me," she said as she pulled the compact out of her sleeve. The spirit world always had the worst timing! "Botan here."

"Botan!" Hinageshi exclaimed. "I misplaced one of the old texts and I don't know what to do! Koenma's going to kill me!"

"Don't panic, dear... I'm sure it's around there somewhere."

"I don't know… I retraced my steps, searched everywhere, but it's like it just vanished!"

"I'll be there in a flash," Botan promised. "We'll find it, you'll see."

The connection ended and Botan regarded Hiei with a sympathetic look.

"Never a dull day in the spirit world," she sighed.

Hiei grunted.

"But hey - do you want to meet me in three days? Same place and time? There's something I'd really like to show you."

She smiled at him hopefully, waiting with abated breath as he took a moment to consider her request.

"I can do that," he agreed eventually.

Botan beamed.

* * *

Hiei stood on the north side bridge; arms leaning against the hard stonewall and eyes staring out into the distance. It was a cool and windy day and he could see a storm brewing in the distance, causing small disruptions in the otherwise calm river below. Despite the tumultuous weather and unrest in the air, he was calm and at ease within.

His thought strayed to silky cerulean tresses, long lashes and round, amethyst eyes. Melodic laughter. The warmth of her aura and the brightness of her smile.

"Well, well, well, someone's in a good mood."

Hiei did not turn towards the sound of the teasing voice, instead choosing to keep his eyes set on the water below.

"And _someone_ should shut up and mind his own business," he replied.

Haru rested his back and forearms against the bridge's half wall.

"Did you just come back from a rendezvous with your lady?" he inquired.

His words garnered Hiei's full attention and he turned his head to fully view the grinning idiot.

"What?"

"You've been gone for a while and you come back looking all smitten," Haru pointed out, regarding Hiei with a smug grin and raised brows. "That could only mean you snuck off to see a very special someone."

Hiei glared at him, features tight and taut with suspicion.

"I thought you said you didn't use your ability unless it was needed," he reminded through gritted teeth.

Haru's grin widened.

"I don't have to use my super-awesome powers to see what's so plainly written all over your face!"

Hiei hardened his expression and averted his gaze stubbornly, but the damage was already done. It was clear that Haru was not going to leave him alone, nor was he going to drop the subject.

"So... tell me: what's your mystery lady like?" he inquired, wiggling his eyebrows.

"That's none of your business."

"Hm... I bet she's a really strong demoness..." Haru considered, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

"..."

"She's definitely a fierce warrior; someone who could give you a decent challenge," he continued, before breaking out into an amused smirk. "Maybe she's even stronger than you."

"..."

"I bet she's got this too-cool-for-you attitude and a fiery temperament," Haru went on. "The type that people are always intimidated by. Am I right?"

Hiei supposed it was a good thing that Haru could not read thoughts as well as emotions. The other man couldn't be any further from the truth.

"Think what you will," the fire-demon replied, tightlipped as always.

Haru's mouth drew into a pout, one unbecoming of an adult male, much less an important member of Mukuro's camp.

"Oh, come on, I tell you everything!" he complained.

"And I wish that you wouldn't."

"You don't mean that, buddy."

"I really, really do."

Haru continued to pester and goad him into revealing more information as the night progressed, but Hiei couldn't find it within himself to be bothered. Not when his heart and mind were still so filled with thoughts and recollections of the ferry-girl.

* * *

Botan hummed a chipper tune as she exited the ferry-girl's quarters and made her way down the main hallway. Her good mood had spilled over into the next few days and increased exponentially now that she was due to meet Hiei soon. Her steps were light and her smile genuine as she thought of inky hair and crimson eyes. She was glad that he agreed to meet her today; she had a surprise in store for him.

"Botan."

"Good afternoon, Kurama," she replied politely, continuing on for a few steps until her brain caught up with her. Her eyes widened as she did a double take and quickly backpedaled towards the redhead. "Kurama! What brings you here? Did you have business with Lord Koenma?"

He folded his arms over his chest, emerald eyes resting on hers neutrally.

"Actually, I came to see you."

Botan stiffened, panic striking her heart. If he was looking for her, then that could only mean one thing. She gulped, forcing a smile to smother out the guilty look that was probably etched into her features.

"Why that's sweet, but I just remembered that I have somewhere that I must be..."

She tried to bypass him and skitter away, but his response froze her in her tracks.

"Off to play another round of matchmaker?" he mused.

Botan fought to keep her expression level as she turned around slowly to face his accusations.

"Why in the three worlds would you say something so odd?" she asked, laughing nervously as she waved him off with a dismissive hand. "You know that I'm in the business of collecting souls, not hearts."

"There is no need to pretend. I know that you set up that meeting with Maya."

Botan blanched, mouth opening and closing wordlessly, all sounds of protest dying in her throat. Her eyes darted around he room as she tried and failed to come up with a reasonable response. There was no way she could outfox Kurama and she found her will crumbling and folding under the weight of his all-knowing emerald gaze.

"Alright, I did it!" she confessed, head bowed slightly and eyes downcast. "The truth is, you two were together in the other reality."

Botan gave him a moment to internalize the news, watching him carefully as she took a step closer to the silent ex-bandit.

"You really loved her," she said, quieter this time. "And I thought you deserved the chance to be with her here."

"I appreciate your concern, Botan," he began. "But the situation between Maya and I is much more complicated in this reality."

"I know," she confessed sadly. "Hiei told me all about it."

Kurama raised slender brow.

"Hiei did?"

She nodded.

"My heart broke when I heard of how your story ended before it could even begin. I hoped that I could give you both the push you needed; if you had seen each other once more, then perhaps things could be different this time around."

Kurama was silent. His features were relaxed, but his eyes were unreadable. She could not tell what he was thinking or how he was feeling.

"Are you upset?" Botan asked.

"No," he replied honestly. "I must admit, I still think of her often. I even wondered how differently my life might have been if I hadn't erased her memories."

Botan's expression lit up hopefully as he continued.

"Perhaps your interference was the jumpstart I needed..."

"Kurama, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "I'm so happy for you!"

He smiled gratefully.

"I would prefer it if you could keep this between us for the time being, though," he requested. "This is all… very new to me."

A sense of dejavu passed over her and she smiled as she remembered the other Kurama asking the same thing of her.

"Of course," she reassured. "You can count on me."

"And, I suppose it's safe to assume that you will no longer be working behind the scenes?"

"This curious kitten's days of meddling are over," she promised. "Though I do expect to be kept up to date on your romantic endeavors!"

Kurama chuckled.

"I would think you had your hands full dealing with your own relationship."

Her smile fell as she pointed to herself curiously.

"My own relationship?"

"You have gotten rather close with Hiei, haven't you?" Kurama acknowledged.

"Yes," she nodded. "We've been through a lot in the past few weeks..."

Kurama's silence was more telling than any words.

"But we're just friends!" she added hurriedly. "That's all."

The smile on his face indicated that he did not believe her.

"If you insist," he said.

Botan pouted, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"I do!"

"Very well, then."

He was still smiling in that peculiar way as he bid her farewell and proceeded to walk away. Botan frowned at his retreating form, feeling unsettled all of a sudden.

Kurama might have been very perceptive and often saw things that others could not, but even he could be wrong sometimes. Her relationship with Hiei was unconventional and confusing on so many levels. It was only natural that misunderstandings would arise.

She nodded to herself determinedly, pushing Kurama's troubling words out of her mind and continuing onward.

She had somewhere to be!

* * *

Once again, Hiei found himself in the human world. Not much had differed from the other reality; the air was light, the sky was blue and the sun shone down brightly, but did not afford much warmth during this time of year. He was approaching the area where Botan requested that they meet, purposely slowing down his strides in an effort to maintain some semblance of composure and refrain from appearing overly eager.

His boots crunched over twigs and soft grass as he shoved his hands in his pockets and carried on. The ferry-girl usually had an angle and he was sure that whatever she called him out here for would end up with him on the short end of the stick, but it did not matter much to him at this point. He was already in too deep to fight it at this point.

"So... what're we doing out here on this fine, frigid day?"

Hiei froze as his ears picked up on the sound of the familiar, yet unmistakable tenor. It was Kaisei. He was sure of it.

"Well, I wanted to introduce you two to someone," Botan replied. "He should be here any minute now."

"Can I ask who this mystery guest is?" a second voice chimed in.

Fubuki.

So this was why Botan wanted to meet. She had somehow gotten herself tangled up with the Sato siblings, much like the same, peculiar way that Haru had barreled his way into Mukuro's fortress. As Hiei continued onwards, he eventually spotted the trio, chatting amicably amongst themselves. Judging by the way Kaisei was gazing at Botan, he must have harbored the same, silly crush that he did in the other reality.

"There he is!" Botan announced, a wide grin stretching her lips. "Kaisei, Fubuki, meet Hiei, a former member of the old Spirit Detective team."

"Not by choice," Hiei interrupted, unable to keep the sourness out of his tone.

"Yes," Botan giggled. "He will never quite let us forget that."

"Finally, we can put a face to the 'moody little fire-demon' moniker that Urameshi gave you," Kaisei grinned.

Hiei raised a brow.

"We met everyone else a few days ago, when we visited the spirit world," Fubuki explained. "Yusuke told us all about you."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, feeling as though he was missing something important.

"Why were they in the spirit world?" he questioned, eyes fixed on Botan.

"That's because you're looking at the newest spirit detectives," she revealed, waving a hand towards the siblings. "I'll be assisting them from now on."

His frown deepened. They weren't mature enough or strong enough to take on the dangers of a job like this, but then again, Koenma was always doing things half-assed.

"They hardly look suitable for a job like that," he scoffed, ignoring the way the siblings' expressions scrunched up in protest.

"They're around the same age as Yusuke when he first started... plus, they've been honing their skills all their lives," Botan defended. "They're very strong for their ages."

"Hn, I'll be the judge of that," he said, shirking off his black coat and regarding the two of them with a challenging look. "Spar with me."

The teens' expressions lit up eagerly.

"Who do you want to fight first?" Kaisei asked.

"I want the two of you to attack together," he ordered. "And do not hold back."

The brunettes exchanged worried glances.

"That might not be very fair…" Fubuki began warily.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at them condescendingly.

"You overestimate yourselves."

"I think it's you who's underestimating us," Kaisei said, crouching into a defensive position and prompting Fubuki to do the same. "Don't say we didn't warn you."

Hiei nodded, signaling the start of their sparring session. The two rushed at him with a speed that he did not expect, but it was nothing he could not handle. He was pleasantly surprised to see that they were both stronger and more polished than Yusuke was during their first skirmish. Their power range landed somewhere around a B-class demon's and he supposed it made sense, considering who their mother was.

The longer they sparred, the easier it was for Hiei to exploit the obvious faults and flaws in their fighting style. While they worked well in tandem, they both had a bad habit of breaking their guard whenever they were separated. It was pitifully easy to trip them up. And their stamina could do with some improving.

Most glaring of all, however, was how lax they were. He could have easily killed them a hundred times over during the course of their mock battle. They lacked the sort of experience and caution that could only be gained from the high stakes of a life or death situation . But they would learn in due time.

Their scuffle continued on in a flurry of attacks and energy blasts until the two were at their limit. Hiei hardly broke a sweat, but the siblings were both breathing heavily.

"What'd ya think, old-timer?" Kaisei wheezed, hunched over with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hn, passable at best," he replied. "You should at least survive the low level cretin that pass as a threat in this world."

"Dude, we were awesome!" Kaisei defended. "Right Fu?"

"Totally," she flashed a smile, her entire face flushed as she nodded her head.

"You should be proud of yourselves," Botan praised. "Hiei is the general of one of the strongest armies in the demon world. Not only is he a skilled warrior, but he's also a good surveyor of strength, too. The fact that he commended you at all is noteworthy."

Kaisei and Fubuki nodded to each other, looking especially pleased with themselves.

"In fact, because Hiei is so strong and experienced..." Botan continued, looking over at him with a hopeful smile. "I was thinking that he could train you two occasionally. Help prepare you both for the dangers ahead."

He saw the way the siblings lit up and his expression fell.

"I have better things to do be doing than babysitting a couple of teenaged human brats," he said as he slipped his coat back on.

"Aw, don't be like that Hiei. We're really quick learners," Kaisei urged, scrambling over to his side.

Fubuki nodded eagerly, somehow suddenly flanking his other side.

"And we're good students, too. Please?" she tried.

"No."

"C'mon!" Kaisei urged. Hands pressed together pleadingly. The boy began spouting off multiple reasons as to why this was a good idea, while Fubuki continued to give him those soft eyes that she thought would work on anyone.

He almost felt like he was in the other reality when he considered the familiar and borderline bothersome way the teens had taken to him. He glanced over at the ferry-girl, who was smiling and undoubtedly amused by the turn of events. It was a surprise that she had somehow landed the role of their assistant, but he supposed it wasn't that farfetched of a development.

"Just give us a chance!" Kaisei pleaded.

"You won't regret it!" Fubuki added.

Hiei glared at them, though he knew it probably lacked most of the fiery heat usually present in his crimson eyes.

"Oh, don't make them beg, Hiei!" Botan admonished, resting a hand on his arm and effectively shattering his resolve. "At least give it a try and see if it's worthwhile."

Hiei looked away, crossing his arms over his chest with a sigh.

"I will think about it," he relented.

Kaisei punched a fist in the air, while Fubuki clapped her hands together. The two began chatting excitedly among themselves while Botan smiled fondly at him.

"It seems things in this reality are becoming more and more like the other," she noted.

Hiei nodded in agreement.

"I almost couldn't believe it when Koenma told me that I'd be working with them, especially considering I had missed them so."

"Hn, at least one of us did."

She laughed, shaking her head as though she did not believe him.

He looked up at the sky; the sun would be setting soon and he did not want to waste any time.

"If you are done here, then there is somewhere else we should be," Hiei announced.

Botan was clearly surprised by his sudden announcement and she glanced over the teens.

"It's fine, we've got things to do, anyway," Kaisei said with an easy grin.

"Alright," Botan replied. "I'll contact you if anything comes up."

"Sounds good, later B!" Kaisei said.

"Bye Botan!" Fubuki followed.

The two exchanged mischievous glances, before setting their sights on Hiei.

"See you soon, _shishou_!" they said in unison, causing Hiei to glare at the both of them as they laughed and went their way.

"I should have known you would drag me into something unpleasant, ferry-girl," he grumbled.

"Oh, don't pretend you weren't happy to see them," Botan teased, bumping him with her shoulder lightly.

"I wasn't," he denied.

"Sure you weren't," she appeased. "But... really... what do you think of their current level? I don't want to throw them into something that they aren't ready for."

"It is as I said. They are adequate for the time being," he answered. "They could use some experience, though."

Botan nodded in understanding.

"If you do decide to train them once in a while, I know they'll appreciate it. And so will I."

She was staring at him in that soft way that made his guard crumble and waver and he was forced to look away.

"We should go," Hiei said, changing the subject.

"Oh, that's right..." she trailed off. "Where are we headed?"

"Mukuro's," he replied gruffly. He had already decided that he would bring her there once things were relatively peaceful. The battles and invasions had died down after he had effectively squashed the first few and he knew that there was one person in particular that she would be thrilled to see

"Oh my! To Mukuro's?" she echoed, eyes crinkling as a smile overtook her expression. "How exciting!"

"Hn."

"I should probably bring a gift or something, shouldn't I?"

"No, that isn't necessary."

"Well, I should at least change," Botan suggested, looking down at her pink kimono with a frown.

"Your attire is fine."

"Really?"

"I see no issue with it," he stated flatly.

She pushed the pads of her index fingers together, the way she usually did when she was nervous.

"But it's practically screaming that I'm a ferry-girl," she mentioned worriedly.

"I fail to see your point," he replied.

"...Nothing, I just..." Her gaze broke away from his, expression falling slightly.

"I don't care that you're a ferry-girl," Hiei declared resolutely. "And anyone who does will meet the end of my sword."

Amethyst eyes were wide and filled with emotion as they met his gaze once more. Perhaps he had said too much, but he meant it and he couldn't find it within himself to regret it. Not when she was looking at him like that.

"That's simultaneously the nicest and most violent thing anyone's ever said to me!" she said.

"It was nothing," he dismissed, averting his gaze.

"It was sweet," she gushed.

"It wasn't."

"It really was!" she said.

"You're overreacting again."

"I can't help it... I'm touched!"

"Touched in the head," he muttered.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't ruin the moment!"

"You ruined it the instant you opened that mouth of yours."

"Aha," she exclaimed, giving him a sly look as she placed her hands on her hips. "So you admit there was a moment to begin with?"

"Woman..." he gritted.

"Yes, Hiei?" she answered sweetly.

"My patience is wearing thin and the more you talk, the less I want to take you with me," he warned. "Do you want to come or not?"

"Well, that's not a very nice way to-"

"Botan..." he growled out.

"Okay, okay!" She summoned her oar and mounted it in one swift motion. "Lead the way."

* * *

Mukuro's fortress was impressive, to say the very least, and Botan could hardly believe that she was here. The territory was massive and the fortress itself was large and confusing; almost like a maze. If she lost sight of Hiei, there would be no way of knowing where she was or how to get out. The walls were covered in body parts and all sorts of grotesque features and she tried not to grimace as they traveled further into the heart of it.

She stuck close to Hiei's side, ignoring the many stares and whispers that followed them as they traversed through the corridor. Hiei was giving off a positively dangerous aura, but she knew it was merely for the sake of dispelling the others and, as such, it did not bother her at all.

"So..." she started, her voice echoing amongst the halls. "Are you going to tell me why you brought me here?"

"You'll see soon enough."

"But the suspense is killing me!"

"Patience, woman," he chided.

She squinted at the back of his head, finding it ironic that he of all people would be telling her to be patient, but pressed her lips into a firm line and followed after him regardless. The sounds of weapons clashing echoed from everywhere and she could sense all sorts of energies in the air. This place certainly wasn't for the faint of heart.

Upon rounding a corner, her eyes landed on a sight that she thought she would never see again: wavy orange hair, twinkling green eyes and chipper expression that could only belong to one man. He looked exactly the same, except he was dressed in the garb of the demon world.

"Haru…" she exclaimed. "You're here!"

"Uh… yeah, I am?" he said sheepishly, walking over to the two of them with a confused look.

In the next instant Botan had launched herself at him, hugging him fiercely.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed.

"Um… I…" he said as he patted her back, giving Hiei a confused look. "Thanks… but who are you?"

Botan pulled away.

"I'm Botan, pilot of the river styx and assistant to the spirit detective!" she replied.

"Whoa, those are some fancy titles," he marveled. "So, tell me, what is a sweet little lady like you doing in parts like these?"

"Hiei brought me along," she said.

Haru raised his brows and gave Hiei a knowing look. Hiei huffed and looked away, the tick in his jaw signaling his irritation. She wasn't sure what their little exchange meant, but she continued on anyway.

"I actually met you in the other reality," Botan informed.

"We knew each other?"

"That's right," she affirmed. "I was so afraid that I'd never get the chance to see you again… but here you are!"

Haru grinned widely.

"Well, I only hope that I can live up to the other-me's reputation!"

"I have a feeling you will," she supported.

Haru glanced over at Hiei, cupping his hand over the side of his mouth and mock whispering: "I like her!"

Botan giggled.

"So, I take it we were close?" Haru guessed.

"I'd like to think so!"

"Did me and Mr. Grumpy get along?" Haru asked, pointing between himself and the fire-demon. "Hiei refuses to humor me whenever I ask him about that other reality - he's just so mean!"

"Well," Botan began. "Just between you and I, you were probably one of Hiei's best friends."

"Get out of here..." he said, eyes narrowed at her in disbelief. "You're pulling my leg!"

"No, it's true!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

Haru grinned down at Hiei, hands on his hips and mischief in his eyes.

"Aw, I knew you liked me deep down, buddy."

"I don't," Hiei denied.

It was clear that no matter what Hiei said, Haru would remain unconvinced. Botan couldn't help but smile at the two.

"Hey, would you like a tour of the place?" Haru asked. "It's your first time here, right?"

"It is," she confirmed. "And I would absolutely love a tour!"

"Well, then, my fair lady, let's be onward!" he announced, holding an arm out.

Botan graciously accepted his offer, looping her arm through hers. Hiei trailed after them, hands shoved into his pockets as he glared at anyone who so much as breathed in their direction. She glanced back at him occasionally, her heart warming at the protective way he was behaving. Despite all logic and instinct telling her otherwise, she felt completely safe and secure here.

She and Haru got to catching up, learning as much as they could about each other as they made their way around the area. She was unsurprised to hear that he was an emotion reader - he had always been so perceptive in the other reality - and it made complete sense that his abilities would tie in with his empathetic nature. It was a shame that he did not carry over his expert baking skills, though.

They stopped off in the mess hall, taking a quick break to have some dinner. Botan was not entirely sure what it was that she had consumed, but she did her best to clear her plate. After that, they continued their tour, coming upon Mukuro's throne room.

Haru knocked once and entered, not bothering to wait for the demoness' response. As Botan stepped inside, she was met with the sight of Mukuro standing tall, arms folded under her chest and expression calm, as though she had been expecting them all along.

"Special visitor," Haru broadcasted.

"Hello Lady Mukuro," she greeted. "It's a pleasure."

"Ferry-girl," Mukuro returned, before correcting herself. "Botan, was it?"

Botan's lips parted, eyes wide in shock as she nodded wordlessly.

"You needn't look so surprised. Unlike Hiei, I make it a point to remember every face I encounter," Mukuro revealed.

Hiei grunted at the same time that Haru let out a snort.

"Well, I'm honored that you do," she said through a smile. "I've always admired you."

"Have you?"

"Of course! I even rooted for you in the tournaments... except for that one time where you fought against Hiei. I was absolutely torn!"

"I see."

Mukuro's blue eye rested on hers and Botan felt more than a little nervous under the woman's discerning gaze. She held her ground, though, keeping her posture upright and tall. The air was oppressing and heavy in the throne room, a result of Mukuro's tremendous power, and Botan did her best to withstand it. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she suppressed the urge to prattle on thoughtlessly, like she often when she was nervous. She had a feeling the other woman would not appreciate mindless, small talk.

Mukuro's gaze turned to Haru and Botan felt as though she could breathe a little easier.

"You should take her to the gardens," Mukuro suggested. "I have a feeling she will like it there."

"Oh, good idea!" Haru grinned, directing Botan to the exit.

Hiei appeared to be following suit, when Mukuro's voice interrupted.

"Hiei, a moment?"

Botan paused, looking between the fire-demon and his superior, her breath caught in her throat. She recognized that tone, having been on the receiving end of it more often than not with Koenma.

"Let's go, Botan," Haru urged, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hiei will catch up."

She locked gazes with the crimson-eyed man, her blue brows crinkled in concern. She wanted to stay, but when Hiei nodded for her to go on, she had no choice but to allow Haru to lead her away. The large doors to the throne room closed behind them and Botan frowned.

"I hope he isn't in trouble…" she murmured, eyes downcast as she trudged behind Haru.

"Why would he be?"

"Maybe because he brought a citizen of spirit world to one of the king's strongholds?"

"Nah, Mukuro's not the type to sweat the small stuff," Haru dismissed. "And I hear she's on good terms with your world lately."

"But-"

"Trust me," he reassured. "Besides, in the unlikelihood that she was bothered by something trivial like that, Hiei wouldn't care. He's always doing things that Mukuro doesn't like; I think the guy just loves breaking rules."

Botan couldn't help but smile at that.

"That sounds just like Hiei."

Haru returned her expression, before guiding her to the back exit of the fortress. Unlike the menacing and imposing atmosphere that characterized most of the territory, the path that Haru led her to was calm and tranquil. It was lined with all sorts of plants and flowers that Botan had never seen before. There was even a small pond with native demon world fish swimming around, surrounded by stones of various sizes and shapes.

"Oh, Haru, this place is beautiful."

"Isn't it?" he agreed.

Her feet carried her towards the flowers first. They were much different than the ones of the spirit and human world, emitting an unearthly white glow that captured her attention. Under the cover of darkness, they shone brighter than the moon and stars.

"These are our cosmos. I guess they got their names because they light up like the cosmos," Haru informed.

Botan bent down to touch a white petal, watching it glow beneath her fingers. She never expected to see such an enchanting sight, but then again, the demon world was full of wonders. She recalled Hiei telling her about the place he often frequented; he mentioned that it was filled with the sort of things that she may find appealing.

"Say... do these sorts of flowers grow in the Valley of Solitude?"

"They do, actually. That place is known best for how pretty it is... especially at night," he affirmed. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh... no reason," she replied. She wondered if part of the reason Hiei liked the valley so much had anything to do with these. He didn't exactly seem like the type that cared for nature, but he did have a habit of surprising her.

"You should tell Hiei to take you there one day. It's pretty romantic."

She stood up, brows shooting high as her cheeks flushed with color.

"Oh, that's... we..."

Haru laughed heartily, apparently amused by her reaction.

"Still in that shy, young love phase, huh?" he teased, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not-" she tried to explain, when a new voice interrupted.

"Stop pestering her," Hiei said.

"I'm not pestering her!" Haru defended.

"You are. Now leave us be," he ordered.

Haru released Botan's shoulder, regarding the two of them with a mischievous glint in his green eyes.

"Alright, alright," he relented. "You two lovebirds have fun! But not too much fun, on account of I'm Hiei's neighbor, the walls are thin and I've got excellent hearing."

Botan's eyes nearly doubled in size as her blush extended to the tips of her ears. Hiei's energy raised in warning, but Haru was unfazed. He simply winked at the both of them and then went his way.

"Oh my…" she said, hands on her heated cheeks.

"Ignore him," Hiei encouraged with a roll of his eyes. "He is delusional at best; clinically insane at worst."

Her hands fell to her sides as she returned her attentions to the fire-demon. There was a slight frown etched into his features and Botan's mouth curved into a worried slant.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

His gaze fell on her, crimson eyes seeming to glow like the flowers in the darkness.

"Why do you ask?"

"Mukuro asked you to stay behind for a reason. I thought it might have something to do with my presence here."

"She was discussing military tactics," he revealed. "Nothing else."

"Oh," Botan replied. "Well, that's a relief. I was afraid she might not have appreciated my being here."

"Even if she was, it wouldn't matter."

"Hiei…"

"I don't care that we are from different worlds," he declared. "And you shouldn't either."

"I don't care, Hiei. I never did."

His expression eased, features settling into a look of understanding as he nodded. Botan took a seat on the only bench in the area, patting the empty space beside her invitingly and smiling when he followed suit. It was such a beautiful night and she was glad that Hiei was here to share it with her. Their fingers brushed together as he rested his hand beside hers and, if her heart skipped a beat, that was simply something she had long since gotten used to when it came to Hiei.

* * *

Hiei watched Botan from the corner of his eye. She was always beautiful, but he found her more so in the darkness of night. Round amethyst eyes gazing upwards, pink lips parted and blue tresses blowing in the wind. With the glow of the cosmos on her form, she almost seemed ethereal. He wasn't sure how long they stayed out there, but he did not want it to end.

"It's pretty late." Botan interrupted the silence, her voice quiet and soft and filled with reluctance. "Time completely got away from me."

"Hn."

"I had better go."

He looked at the velvet sky and then back at the woman.

"Stay the night," he prompted. "You can leave in the morning."

"But I-"

"It's late," he cut in.

She paused, before the corners of her mouth curved upwards and she nodded.

"It is," she agreed. "Is there a spare room I can use?"

"There are more than enough, but this fortress isn't safe enough for you to be left be alone."

"Um… so…"

"You'll stay with me," he clarified.

Her breath hitched in her throat, color returning to her cheeks in full force.

"Unless you don't want to," he added.

"No," Botan shook her head hurriedly. "It's not like that – what I mean to say is…"

He raised a brow as she searched for the right words.

"That sounds like a super idea," she decided, taking a stand. "Shall we?"

Hiei continued to glare at anyone that looked their way as he escorted Botan to his room. He knew that rumors would be floating around the next day, but he did not care. And if anyone did have the gall to say something to him about it, he would make sure that they did not live to regret it.

He closed his bedroom door behind him, watching as the ferry-girl looked around in wonder. His room was nothing to marvel at, mostly unfurnished, except for the bed and curtains. There was one desk, which still held the phone and wallet from the other dimension. He did not mean for her to see those things, but it was too late to worry about that now. He removed his coat and scarf, depositing them over the table and covering up any and all signs of the other reality.

"Take the bed," he offered. "I haven't been sleeping lately anyway."

"Neither have I…" she admitted.

Her eyes searched his for something that he was not sure she would find, before she looked back towards the bed.

"Do you suppose we should just share?" she suggested.

Hiei was nearly at a loss for words. He didn't expect for her to suggest that - especially now that they were back in this reality.

"Never mind," Botan said, shaking her head. "I don't know what I was thinking-"

This scene had played out between them before and much like the last time, the fire-demon had no intentions of letting the woman renege.

"It's the smartest idea you've come up with since we landed in this dimension," Hiei recited.

Botan bit back a smile at the familiar response and just like that, any and all of the uncertain air between them vanished.

"Alright," she nodded. "Then there's just one more thing left to settle."

"What is it?"

"Do you think I could take a quick shower?"

-x-

Minutes later, she was behind the locked door of his private bathroom. Hiei sat on the edge of his bed, facing away from the bathroom entirely.

He could hear her humming away - the walls really were as thin as Haru had claimed - and the steam that emitted through the gaps in the door carried her scent and filled his mind with thoughts he did not need. Hiei wanted nothing more than to pretend that her presence did not affect him, but it did.

Though this scene had played out multiple times in the other reality, things were different this time around. She wasn't showering in the comfort and privacy of _their_ shared apartment. She was in _his_ room. And that made all the difference.

Perhaps if this were someplace else, he would have just left and given her some privacy. But this fortress was dangerous, especially for a being from the spirit world, and he had no choice but to wait nearby. So that's exactly what he did; tortured by the thoughts he shouldn't be thinking and forced to count the minutes that ticked by. He closed his eyes and recalled of all sorts of revolting things, piling them up in his mind one by one. Strangely enough, most of his recollections came from the other reality: Kuwabara's horrible off-key singing at the bar they had frequented, Yusuke getting an earful from Koenma when he did not follow the proper procedures required of them, Kurama explaining to them in great detail what his work involved, even though it was just about the most boring thing that Hiei had ever had to suffer though. He thought of the siblings and those silly games they always made him play; he remembered the infant, and the annoying way he screamed when Hiei refused to pick him up. There was a surprising number of things he had to draw from, but even so, it did not stop him from thinking of the naked, wet and long-legged woman in his bathroom.

When the water cut off, he expelled the breath he did not realize he was holding. Soon enough, she stepped out to meet him.

"It's all yours," she said, toweling her damp hair.

His grey shirt and black pants were both too wide for her slender frame, but the length was at least adequate. Something twisted in his chest when he saw her looking so comfortable in his clothes. He should have long since gotten used to it - she had taken to wearing his sweaters and shirts in the other reality - but he was starting to realize that this was simply one of those preferences of his that he could not explain. He swallowed thickly, brushing past her as he marched into the bathroom and proceeded to take a very cold shower.

-x-

When Hiei returned, he found Botan seated on his bed, waiting for him in the same way she did at the end of a long day in the other reality.

"Today was nice," she said, a contented smile on her face.

He did not react. If she knew how _'nice'_ it had truly been for him, it would be much too soon. He quietly took up his position beside her, sitting and resting against the headboard instead of immediately laying down.

"Mukuro's fortress is nothing like I expected," Botan began conversationally.

Hiei regarded her with a knowing look in his crimson eyes.

"Too grotesque for you, ferry-girl?"

"Well… it's _different_ , but it has its charms," she acknowledged, a smiling playing on her lips.

"Hn."

"I'm glad that I finally had the chance to see what your home is like," she said, looking around observantly. "Though, it wouldn't hurt to decorate a bit more. Your room is so bare. It hardly looks lived in!"

"Would you prefer it if everything was pink and frilly like yours undoubtedly is?" he countered.

"Hey! It's not like that at all!" she denied. "There may be a lot of pink, but it's tasteful."

"I find that hard to believe, woman."

"Then you'll just have to see for yourself, won't you?"

Hiei raised a brow.

"Er… I mean…" Botan's cheeks reddened. "Oh, never mind!"

He rolled his eyes, biting back the smirk that threatened to slant his mouth.

"Still a prude, I see."

"Hey!"

"It's a just a room," he stated. "No need to become so flustered."

"I'm not flustered!"

He shot her an unconvinced look.

"I'm not!" she said again, hands balled into fists and face flushed in a mixture of embarrassment and indignation. "As a matter of fact, I'm personally inviting you over now. I insist."

"Maybe I will."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Peachy!"

"Hn."

"Hmph!"

She angled her body away from his, arms tightly woven under her chest as she huffed. He let out a scoff, before pressing his mouth into a firm and unyielding line.

A tense silence swept over the room, until Botan chanced a glance in his direction. She was predictably the first to break their petty stalemate, shoulders falling as she sighed.

"...What are we even fighting over?" she asked.

"I don't know," Hiei admitted.

She cracked a smile, amusement running through her features and he found the corners of his mouth turning up as well.

"Seems like some things never change, huh?" Botan mused lightly.

"I suppose so."

Her expression morphed into something fonder, eyes crinkled with mirth. He could feel the shift in the atmosphere between them, signaling that she was about to say something he was not emotionally equipped to handle.

"...This is what I wished for when we happened upon the wishing fountain that night," she recalled.

Hiei raised a brow, disbelief running through his crimson eyes.

"You wanted to end up in my bed?"

"No!" she denied adamantly. "I wished that things would stay the same between us. I didn't want us to return and then have you suddenly forgetting all about me."

"I told you that wouldn't happen."

"I know, but it's one thing for you to say it and another for you to actually follow through," she expressed. "I'm just really glad that you did, Hiei."

Hiei felt the winds in his chest picking up, swirling around with emotions he still could not properly convey. He should have said something reassuring, but could not even bring himself to do that much. Instead, he resorted to a tactic that he knew best: deflection.

"You're always so sentimental, ferry-girl," Hiei commented.

Her bottom lip jutted out into a pout.

"Don't make fun of me! It wasn't exactly easy to say all of that, you know!"

"Ironic, considering you never have trouble blurting out whatever comes to mind."

"Oh hush," she said as she settled in.

Hiei followed suit, extinguishing the only light remaining with a flick of his wrist. His bed was much smaller than that of the other reality, leaving little to no room between them, but neither of them seemed to mind it at all. She smelled like fresh meadows and her presence was familiar and warm beside him, pulling him closer to the sleep that had eluded him as of late.

"Goodnight, Hiei," Botan said, voice light and melodic.

"Sleep well, woman," he replied.

His breathing slowed as all tension faded from his muscles, his soul resting at ease.

This felt right.

Laying here beside her, he finally felt like he was home.

* * *

We're winding down to the end… if I've got this all planned out properly, then there should be two chapters left. Hope you're looking forward to it! Thank you for all the support you guys have shown so far. You're the best!


	23. Chapter 23

Few things before we start!

Firstly, I posted a short one-shot related to _Home_ called _Midnight Interlude_. Check it out if you're interested.

Secondly, please be sure that you've read the previous chapter before you dive into this one. FFnet has been acting whacky lately and withholding alert emails, so there's a good chance that you may not have gotten to read Chapter 22.

Thirdly, this chapter is super short by my standards because I had split the original in half. So, after this one, we should have 2 more chapters left (and, possibly, an epilogue).

Without further ado, here's Chapter 23!

* * *

Hiei stalked into the mess hall, shoulders squared and hands balled into fists. Everyone had been staring at him all day and what little patience he naturally possessed was wearing thin. He could hear the rumors swirling around; talk of the fire-demon entangling himself with a ferry-girl. Haru had to hold him back multiple times, because if he had it his way, half of Mukuro's camp would have lost their tongues by now.

"Hiei! Over here!" Haru urged, waving him over with the excitement of a small child or a loyal dog.

The fire-demon crossed over the expanse of the hall, ignoring the stares and whispers that followed him as he took a seat across from the emotion reader.

"Picked out all your favorites," Haru said as he slid a plate of food over to him.

Hiei nodded in acknowledgment, pulling the dish closer to him. Though Haru was a pest, Hiei had to admit that he occasionally served some purpose. The other man chattered aimlessly while Hiei ate, granting the fire-demon a momentary reprieve from his latest troubles. Haru continued to jump from topic to topic, until he settled on the proverbial elephant in the room.

"So… Botan's really cute," he began conversationally.

Hiei nearly choked on his meal. Oblivious to his reaction, Haru continued.

"She's a lot different than I expected, though," he reflected. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. I really like her!"

Hiei took a swig of his drink and swallowed forcefully.

"How long have you two been an item?" Haru inquired, elbow propped up on the table and chin resting against the palm of his hand.

"What?" he managed to grit out as he slammed his mug down on the wooden table.

"How long have you been together?" Haru repeated, slowly enunciating each word, his voice carrying a teasing lilt.

"We aren't."

Green eyes squinted into suspicious slits.

"You're just trying to be secretive again, aren't you?" Haru suspected.

"I'm not," Hiei asserted. "The ferry-girl and I are nothing more than friends."

"Really?" Haru sat up straighter, confusion passing through his features.

"Really," Hiei replied flatly.

"I just assumed, because of the way you two were behaving. I mean, you obviously..."

"Obviously what?"

Haru looked guilt for a moment, before he shook his head and fixed Hiei with a sheepish smile.

"Never mind," he said.

"Tell me, you bumbling moron."

"Aw, you really need to work on your nicknames, buddy," he tried to divert.

"Haru," he growled out impatiently.

"It's nothing, really, just forget that I said anything," he deflected, averting his gaze pointedly.

Hiei frowned. While Haru was known to meddle, he did not like to force people into discovering their own feelings. He preferred to allow them to come to it in their own way and in their own time. The adamant way he refused to tell Hiei what was going on could only mean that Haru knew the truth behind his affection towards the ferry-girl and Hiei could not hide the scowl that made its way onto his face.

"You know," Hiei stated.

Haru rubbed the back of his neck guiltily.

"Yeah..."

The fire-demon's mouth pulled into a tight line.

"I didn't mean to..." Haru began. "It felt so obvious, to me at least..."

"Don't say a word," he warned. "To anyone."

"No worries, I can keep a secret," he reassured with a smile.

"Hn."

"But, hey…" Haru began. "…Are you ever going to tell her?"

"That is none of your concern."

"If you want my expert opinion, I definitely think you should! It's not wise to repress your emotions."

"I'm not repressing anything."

"Maybe not yet, but the longer you keep it in, the worse off you'll be."

"I didn't ask for your advice," Hiei pointed out.

"You didn't," Haru agreed, before slapping a hand against his chest. "But as one of your best friends, I'm obligated to steer you in the right direction."

Crimson eyes narrowed.

"You're not-"

Haru chuckled. He was giving him that look, the one that meant that whatever Hiei said would fall on deaf ears, so he clamped his mouth shut and stood up. He didn't quite feel like being subjected to so many eyes at once and he didn't like the way Haru was grinning at him from across the table, so he decided to retire for the rest of the day.

"See ya later bud!" Haru called.

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest, expression hard as he glared at anyone that dare look his way. He returned to his room without incident, closing the door and locking it in case Haru decided to follow. His quarters still smelled faintly of the ferry-girl and just the mere recollection of her was enough to ease some of the tension from his body. As he ventured further inside, his eyes landed on the note Botan had left near his sword.

' _7 P.M. Thursday Night – Yukimura Diner._

 _Don't be late!'_

He distinctly remembered her mentioning something about a get together in the human world and he toyed with the idea of going.

At the very least, he would be able to see her again.

And if he was being honest with himself, that's all he really wanted for now.

* * *

Botan stirred at her tea absently, a far-off look in her eyes and a small smile plastered onto her face as she sat in the break room. She had such a wonderful time at Mukuro's fortress and she was glad to see that Hiei seemed to be doing quite well for himself. He could stand to do something about his lackluster room of his, though. Perhaps the next time she visited, she could help him spruce the place up a bit.

"Someone's in a good mood."

Botan snapped out of her thoughts, turning towards the source of the lighthearted voice.

"Hinageshi," she smiled. "Have a seat."

The redhead plopped down in the empty chair across from Botan, the curve of her lips and mischievous twinkle in her teal eyes suggesting that she was up to no good.

"So, where were you last night?" Hinageshi questioned playfully.

"Oh, I, um..." Botan scratched at her cheek lightly.

She loved Hinageshi – she really did – but she was not sure how well the girl would react to the news that she had spent the night in the demon world and with Hiei, no less.

"Stayed the night in the human world again?" Hinageshi surmised.

"Yes!" she answered hurriedly. "Just another night in the human world…"

"Those were some interesting clothes you returned in, though," the girl noted as she pretended to casually inspect her nails.

Botan stiffened, averting her gaze nervously as she thought of Hiei's shirt and pants that lay laundered and folded on her bed. She cleared her throat, trying her best to keep her voice level and even.

"I-it's all the rage in the human world," she explained lamely.

Teal eyes met amethyst.

"It looked pretty big on you…"

"Yes, the baggy style is in nowadays."

"It seemed kind of masculine, too."

"Like I said, it's simply the new fashion trend…"

Hinageshi's eyes flashed as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"I bet it's real trendy to wear your lover-boy's clothes like that."

Botan's face flushed as she held her hands out defensively.

"I-it's not like that, Hina! Don't start getting strange any ideas!"

"Then give me the details, so I won't have to start jumping to conclusions," she pressed eagerly.

"I don't know…"

"Please! You know I can keep a secret!"

Botan held her friend's pleading gaze, before caving with a sigh.

"Oh, alright," she relented; she could never say no to Hinageshi. She took a quick glance around the room to confirm that no one else was listening in on their conversation, before continuing. "The truth is… I wasn't in the human world last night. I was in Makai."

Hinageshi's expression took on a more serious quality, her brows rounding in surprise.

"What were you doing all the way out there? Were you on official business?" she asked, her voice lowered to avoid any suspicion.

Botan shook her head.

"No, it was nothing like that. I went to visit a friend."

Hinageshi's features settled into a sly look.

"A friend, huh?"

"Yes, a _friend_ ," Botan reiterated. "It was only supposed to be a quick visit, but I ended up staying longer than I thought I would. Before I knew it, it was nighttime, and Hiei insisted that I stay-"

"Whoa, whoa… did you just say Hiei?" Hinageshi interrupted, her nose scrunched up in confusion.

"Um, yes?"

"The scary fire-demon who only opens his mouth to issue cutting remarks and death threats?"

"…Yes?"

"Huh…" Hinageshi huffed, folding her arms over her chest. "I can't say I was expecting that plot twist."

"I already told you that he was the one I spent all that time with in the other reality," Botan reminded her. "Is it so strange that we would meet up now?"

"Not strange, but he's so… you know…" Hinageshi trailed off. "And you're… well... you."

Botan frowned.

"What is that supposed to mean, missy?"

"You're both just so _different_."

"That doesn't mean we can't get along."

"You're right…" Hinageshi considered. "I suppose it doesn't."

"We had a pretty rocky start, but it all worked out for the best," Botan recounted, her expression melting into a soft smile as she thought of fiery eyes and a devious smirk. "He's really a nice guy once you get to know him."

"Ah, I think get it, now!" the girl said, snapping her fingers. "The whole opposites attract thing must hold more weight than I originally thought."

"What are you going on about now?"

"You and Hiei," she continued. "Late night rendezvous. Romantic dates in the demon world."

"Say what now?"

"Clandestine meetings and-"

"It's nothing of the sort! We're just friends, Hina!"

"…Could have fooled me with the way you were sighing all dreamily to yourself," she retorted.

"I wasn't-"

"You totally were."

"I was just thinking of him… platonically," Botan emphasized. "That's all."

"If you say so, B," Hinageshi relented with a shrug of her shoulders. She stood up with a sigh. "I've got souls to ferry, but if you're free later tonight, I'll be happy to talk you through your denial!"

"Hinageshi!"

The girl flashed her a grin and a quick peace sign before skipping off. Hinageshi was always going on about something or the other, but it was a little peculiar that both she and Kurama had arrived at the same assumption. Haru had even joked about it as well.

She stared down into her lukewarm tea, cupping her hands around the mug.

Botan knew that she was a bit oblivious and had the tendency of being somewhat of a ditz at times, but she was no fool. She was well aware of the magnetic pull that drew her to the fire-demon and the affection she carried for him. But these feelings had arisen in a world where she and Hiei were forced to be something that they were not. They were born of circumstance and situation and they did not amount to much in this reality, especially when Hiei did not feel the same.

So she pushed the budding sentiments aside, squashing them until she could pretend that they did not exist. She did not want to jeopardize what she and Hiei had over some misguided emotions. It simply wasn't worth it.

All she wanted to do was stay by his side.

That was enough for her.

* * *

"Well, would you look at what the cat dragged in!" Yusuke exclaimed.

All eyes landed on Hiei as he stepped inside of the Yukimura Diner. It was small and quaint, but held a certain familiar charm within its walls. Botan was smiling at him excitedly and Yukina - albeit much more restrained - appeared to be happy to see him as well. The others, however, had no excuse for the open and disbelieving way they had fixed their sights on him. Crimson eyes narrowed defensively as his shoulders squared.

"Why are you all staring at me like that?" he questioned.

"Maybe because nobody invited you-"

"Kazuma," Yukina scolded gently.

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"What Kuwabara was trying to say is that we weren't expecting to see you, considering you hardly show up to anything… ever."

There was no scorn held in his eyes or in his tone; he spoke the plain and simple truth. Hiei had severed most of his ties to the human world, only returning when it was absolutely necessary. He spent nearly all of his time in the demon world and, prior to his stay in the other reality, he had been fine with that. But things were different now. Recent events had changed him and he was not so prideful to deny the fact that these people held some weighted significance in his life.

"Well, are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna join the party?" Yusuke invited.

He grunted dismissively as he approached the booth, frowning at the current seating arrangement. Kuwabara sat at the end closest to the exit, with Yukina across the way and Botan directly beside him. In the other reality, this was usually his place.

"There's a seat over here," Kurama offered, motioning over to where he, Shizuru, Yusuke and Keiko sat.

Hiei looked away stubbornly. He had a perfectly good spot, except it was currently occupied. He glared down at Kuwabara pointedly and the psychic frowned up at him.

"What do you want, shorty?"

"Move," he ordered simply.

Kuwabara bristled, shoulders squaring and expression hardening defiantly.

"No way! I got here first!"

"And I'm here now. So you need to move," Hiei gritted.

Kuwabara was no doubt about to say something cutting, when Botan interrupted.

"Come now, there's no need to squabble," she admonished, before facing Kuwabara with a sweet smile and a bat of her eyelashes. "Would you mind moving so that Hiei could sit here?"

The psychic was baffled beyond all comprehension, dark eyes darting back and forth between the fire-demon and the ferry-girl in mounting confusion.

"You can sit beside me, Kazuma," Yukina offered helpfully.

Kuwabara's expression immediately brightened as he scrambled to get out of the booth.

"Anything for you my love!" he relented.

Hiei stepped aside as the oaf nearly trampled him in his attempt to fulfill Yukina's request. The others all scooted down, allowing Kuwabara to take up a position directly across from his former spot while Hiei slid inside of the booth, settling in beside Botan.

"You made it!" she beamed. "I'm so glad you decided to take me up on my invitation."

Hiei suppressed the fluttering that arose in his chest whenever she regarded him like that, keeping his expression level.

"There was nothing going on at the fortress," he said by way of explanation. "I thought this could at least kill my boredom."

"Speaking of the fortress, how is Lady Mukuro?" she inquired.

"A pain."

"And Haru?"

"An even greater pain."

"You never change," she said with an amused shake of her head.

He was about to respond when he felt someone's attention fixed on him. Crimson eyes immediately locked onto charcoal. The oaf was staring at him as though he was one of his silly little brainteasers and Hiei did not appreciate being scrutinized so openly.

"See something of interest, oaf?" he asked cuttingly.

"Did you seriously just force us all to move because you wanted to sit next to Botan?" Kuwabara questioned.

All eyes fell on the fire-demon and he tensed.

"Tch." Yusuke waved a dismissive hand. "He probably just wanted the end so he could make a quick and easy getaway."

Hiei relaxed at that, crossing his arms over his chest and averting his gaze.

"Yes," Kurama supported. "That does sound more reminiscent of his character."

They all seemed to agree, sharing various looks amusement between themselves at his expense. Hiei rolled his eyes, perfectly content with ignoring them until Yukina's calm voice reached his ears.

"Even if you do prefer to sit closest to the exit, I'm glad that you still bothered to come," she said gently. "It's nice to have you joining us again."

Hiei nodded at her, the hard lines of his expression melting into a softer look as the irritation that had wedged its way into his chest dissolved. One of the waitresses chose that moment to bring over a tray of drinks. She set eight glasses down on the table and Hiei was slightly surprised to see that someone had thought ahead.

"I took the liberty of ordering you an extra water, just in case you showed," Botan filled in.

He wrapped his hand around the glass, a smirk edging his lips upward.

"Hn, you presume to know me, ferry-girl."

"Just a little," she teased, winking at him playfully.

He took a sip of the ice cold drink, trying to ease the warmth in his chest. It was almost embarrassing how easily it was for the ferry-girl to affect him. He still wasn't sure what he would do with these emotions, but he wasn't going to overthink it. For once, he did not feel the need to dive into his first instinct thoughtlessly. He would rather take his time with her.

"Alright!" Yusuke stood up, gaining everyone's attentions. It was only then that Hiei noticed the white apron over his clothes. "Ready for me to rock your taste buds?"

He had almost forgotten that Yusuke was a chef in this reality. He watched as the usually careless man listened intently to everyone's ramen orders, taking note of any variations and requests and committing them to memory.

"And you?" he asked, brown eyes fixed on Hiei at the other end of the table.

"Beef," he replied, having acquired a taste for the human world cuisine in the other reality.

"You got it."

"Business has been booming ever since Yusuke took over as the head chef," Botan informed, watching as he sauntered off towards the kitchen.

He nodded in acknowledgement, not at all surprised. The former detective had a talent for cooking.

"But between us, I still think Yukina can give him a run for his money," Botan said, turning her bright eyes towards the ice-maiden.

Yukina smiled.

"Yeah!" Kuwabara cheered. "Yukina's the best cook I know!"

"You two should have a cook-off someday," Keiko encouraged.

"Oh, no, I couldn't," Yukina declined with a humble and polite shake of her head.

Kuwabara grinned.

"That's because she doesn't want to crush his ego when she beats him," he revealed to the others.

"Oh Kazuma..." she lightly admonished.

Though she was raised to conceal her emotions and hide her feelings, Hiei could see just how much affection she held for the buffoon. Hiei wished she would have chosen nearly anyone else, but he was starting to realize that when it came to such sentiments, there really was no choice in the matter. Once it had come upon you, you were doomed. So, he refocused his attentions elsewhere, vaguely listening to the others as they began to talk about their mundane, human lives. He had long since gotten used to these meetings back in the other reality and found that his tolerance had increased greatly when it came to those gathered around the table.

It wasn't that bad at all.

* * *

Botan grinned as Yusuke finished distributing the steaming bowls of ramen.

"It smells delicious, Yusuke!" she complimented, clapping her hands together.

"Tastes even better than it smells," he boasted, his signature smirk slanting his lips.

They all began to dig in, complimenting the chef and further boosting his ego. Botan glanced over at Hiei to gage his reaction and bit back a knowing smile when she saw him frowning at his bowl.

"Here, let me," she offered, picking up her chopsticks.

Hiei sat back, crossing his arms over his chest as Botan leaned closer and proceeded to swap the vegetables he did not like with a few slabs of beef from her bowl. She was just about to dig in, when she realized how quiet it had gotten. Looking up, she noticed all eyes on her, except for Hiei, who had finally started to eat.

"Something the matter?" she asked her friends.

"Uh… yeah, kinda…" Yusuke began. "What the hell was that?"

"What was _what_?"

"You picking at shorty's food," Kuwabara filled in.

Amethyst eyes lowered down to her chopsticks, before returning to meet the questioning gazes of everyone else.

"Oh, it's simple, really: Hiei prefers more meat and doesn't like certain vegetables, while I'm the opposite," Botan explained. "This way, we can both get what we like."

Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged a wordless glance, before Yusuke regarded her with a raised brow.

"...So, I take it you two got close," he observed.

"Well... yes," Botan confirmed, suddenly uncomfortable under the weight of his gaze. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Kinda?" he replied, Kuwabara nodding along in silent agreement. "You two weren't exactly known for being BFF's before this whole fiasco."

Botan faltered for moment. It was true. They hardly knew each other at all before their time in the other dimension, so it must have been a little shocking for their friends to witness their new dynamics. She blushed as Kurama and Hinageshi's words returned to her in full force and hoped tha the others weren't getting the wrong idea, too.

"They did just spend two months together in an alternate reality, Yusuke," Keiko defended. "It's only natural that they became closer."

"Yes, besides, I'm more curious to hear about what that other reality was like," Shizuru mentioned, effectively shifting the conversation to safer ground.

Botan smiled, thankful for the girls' intervention.

"It was a lot like the human world, except there were no crises or dangers of the supernatural kind," she recounted. "We all just lived normal, ordinary lives."

"Must have been nice," Keiko said with a light smile.

"It was!"

"It's kinda hard to imagine Hiei having to survive as a functioning human, though," Yusuke quipped.

Kuwabara snickered.

"Yeah, did he insist on sleeping in a tree like a squirrel, even though he probably had a perfectly good place to live?"

"No, in fact, he seemed quite attached to the bed," Botan replied. "He sure did hog it all to himself for the first few nights!"

Kuwabara's smug expression dropped.

"...What?"

She felt Hiei stiffen beside her and she mentally berated herself for her blunder. She knew that he wouldn't want everyone knowing just how far they had to take things in the other reality. It was sort of an unspoken understanding between the two of them that they would not reveal the fact that their counterparts were in a relationship, and she had almost spilled the beans.

"Uh, well, you see... we lived together in the other reality," Botan explained carefully. "We… we were roommates!"

Yusuke busted out laughing.

"Roomies? The two of you? Together?" he taunted in between snorts. "Did you guys give each other facials and mani-pedis while you were at it?"

Hiei glowered icily at Yusuke and she could feel his energy beginning to rise.

"I don't know what any of that is, but if you plan on living past tonight, I suggest you shut up," he threatened.

"Don't tease him, Yusuke. Hiei was a perfectly decent roommate!" Botan defended. "He was respectful and kind and courteous and-"

"-What did you mean when you said he hogged the bed?" Kuwabara interrupted, brow furrowed in contemplation. "If you were roommates, shouldn't you already have your own?"

Botan flushed.

"There's a perfectly good reason for that," she began, her index finger poised informatively. She began to panic when her brain failed to come up with a decent excuse, her finger wilting in succession. "You see... we..."

"I don't see why that is any of your concern," Hiei cut in, appearing as unaffected as ever, despite the heavy attention divvied up between them.

Kurama looked between the two of them, a flash of understanding passing through emerald eyes. Botan wasn't sure if he knew the truth or was in the middle of piecing it together, but he was certainly close to knowing more than she was sure Hiei would have liked.

"Perhaps we should not harp over the logistics," he advised, his voice calm, yet firm enough to leave no room for discussion. "What matters is that they made it back safely. We were all very fortunate that things turned out the way that they did."

She sent a silent thanks his way and he nodded in return.

"You know what? I think that calls for a cheers," Yusuke acknowledged. The others murmured their agreement and he motioned for their waitress to come over. After she finished pouring a bit of sake into each of their cups, Yusuke took a stand. He cleared his throat, before looking down at all of them. "Here's to the return of good friends and the next phase of this crazy ride we call life. The future may be uncertain, but we'll kick its ass together. Here's to … the Dark Tournament Crew!"

"The Dark Tournament Crew?" Kuwabara repeated.

"Yeah, that was where all of our bonds were forged and tested," Yusuke explained. "Don't act like you guys don't know what I'm talking about."

"In that case, aren't you both forgetting about someone?" Keiko asked.

"Nope, that second drink right there is for the old hermit herself," he said, pointing to the extra cup in front of his chair. "And since none of you can hold your liquor, I'll take it on grandma's behalf."

"Oh, don't forget about Lord Koenma and Jorge, too!" Botan piped in.

Yusuke shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, two more drinks it is, guess I'm getting hammered tonight," he reasoned, before motioning with his free hand for the rest of them to join in. "Come on!"

They all – sans Hiei – raised their cups and cheered while the fire-demon scoffed at the exchange.

"Hn. So sentimental," he muttered.

"You say that, but you're the one who chose to be here," Yusuke goaded, grinning cheekily. "You know you love us, you little pyromaniac, you!"

Hiei rolled his eyes, though Botan was certain that the action was more of a habit than a reaction at this point.

The night continued on in a mixture of good conversation, a few drinks and many laughs. She was enjoying herself so much, that she nearly lost track of time and before she knew it, she was due back in the spirit world.

Hiei stood up, allowing her to shuffle out of the booth after bidding everyone a quick farewell. His footsteps were quiet and steady as he followed her outside and she took a moment to admire the peaceful scenery stretched out before them.

"Thanks for coming," she said. "I didn't think you would."

"Why did you bother asking if you thought it would be a futile effort?"

"Because I hoped that you would show up anyway," she replied through a smile. "And true to your record, you didn't disappoint."

He held her gaze, something private and soft in the way his sharp eyes met hers. He looked as though there was something he wanted to say, but instead, he turned his gaze towards the sky placed his hands in his pockets.

She should have looked away, too, but she found herself staring at him unabashedly.

Maybe it was the way the moonlight softened his profile and made his eyes glow. Maybe it was that familiar warmth that radiated off of him in waves or the way the breeze carried his comforting scent. Maybe it was the sake she had consumed, still coursing through her veins. Maybe it was a combination of all those things at once or none of them at all that had Botan completely mesmerized and captured by the man standing beside her. She wanted to lessen the distance between them, to breach the barriers that separated them and so, she did. She reached her hand out, cupping it over his cheek and memorizing the way his skin seared into hers.

It was so warm; he was always so warm.

Hiei did not flinch or pull away; he simply allowed her to guide his eyes back towards hers. He stared back at her searchingly and without reservation. The intensity of his crimson gaze drew her in, like a moth to a flame, and she leaned closer.

Closer.

 _Closer._

Until something changed in Hiei's eyes and he turned away. Suddenly all of the warmth was extinguished, leaving her with nothing but a cold emptiness as she drew her closed fist to her chest.

"You always get like this," he said, his voice tight with an emotion she could not properly decipher.

She swallowed thickly, blue brows crinkled together in concern as she took a hesitant step towards him.

"I don't understand-"

"You've had too much to drink, woman," Hiei replied, facing away from her entirely.

Botan blinked at the stiff outline of his back, her expression falling regretfully. She fully understood why Hiei would draw such a conclusion. The last time she had indulged in one too many drinks, she had thrown herself at him and here she was now…

She frowned.

She wasn't exactly sure _what_ she was doing this time and because she had no excuse or logical explanation behind her actions, she simply stayed quiet.

Yusuke chose that moment to step outside, his grin dropping and expression sobering when he sensed the atmosphere.

"Uh, everything okay?" he asked, hands on his hips.

"Make sure that she doesn't drink anymore," Hiei instructed, not bothering to look back at either of them. "And don't let her fly back to the spirit world; see to it that she finds her way to a portal."

"Hiei, wait-" Botan called out.

She tried to grab a hold of his shoulder, but it was too late. Her heart fell as his afterimage slipped through her fingers and all traces of the fire-demon faded into the night.

* * *

I'll try to have the last bit of this chapter posted by the end of the week. Thanks for the feedback and support!


	24. Chapter 24

Hilt gripped tight in his hand, Hiei swung his sword in a series of blocks, parries and strikes.

He was in the middle of testing the merits of a fresh wave of recruits. Much like with Fubuki and Kaisei, he instructed them to come all at once and to hold nothing back.

He needed this physical activity - the push and pull of battle - to release the pent up frustration that had built up within him ever that night at the diner.

The ferry-girl was surely going to kiss him.

He should have let her.

Hiei deflected an energy blast, dislodging that shameful notion from his mind instantly. He had done the right thing in the end – he was sure of it – but that did not stop him from wishing he had simply given in.

If he allowed himself to, he could still feel the coolness of her palm against his face and that gentle way she touched him. He did not need her to be careful with him, but she always was. He remembered that soft look in her amethyst eyes and the fullness of her lips. When she leaned in, his heart seized in his chest, and fire burned in his veins. This was what he wanted all along. This was what he needed.

But he admittedly did not want it like this. He wanted Botan to be lucid, with nothing else influencing her thoughts but her own desires. He wanted her to want him the way he wanted her, without liquid courage confusing her mind and spurring on her actions.

He frowned in frustration. Doing things the right way was all too wearisome, but he would endure it. He would do everything in his power to see this through, because she was worth every moment of it.

Skidding to a halt, Hiei looked around and assessed the damage. The recruits were all incapacitated in one way or another and the ones who managed to remain conscious were wincing, bruised and breathing heavily. They were littered all over the training grounds, not a single one left standing.

Perhaps he had overdone it.

"Those who wish to remain can do so at their own peril. The real training begins tomorrow."

He sheathed his sword and walked away.

* * *

Kuwabara huffed as he made his way to the top of the stairs leading to Genkai's temple. All those hours behind a desk had him feeling sorely out of shape. He briefly considered getting back into a sparring regimen or something, but all other thoughts flew out of his mind the moment he spotted Yukina on the veranda. She shone under the cover of night and he brightened up considerably, his energy renewed.

"Yukina!" he grinned as he jogged over to her.

"Kazuma, I wasn't expecting to see you tonight," she said, looking pleasantly surprised. "I thought you had faculty meetings today?"

"Yeah, but I took the first bus out here as soon as they were over," he replied sheepishly.

She rested a hand on his arm, looking up at him with concern laced through her soft features.

"You shouldn't wear yourself out like this for my sake," she admonished lightly. "I know you've been busy."

"It's no trouble at all, besides," he said, his voice going a few octaves lower as his gaze intensified. "Seeing you is the highlight of my day, baby."

She giggled behind her hand.

"Well, you must be hungry. Would you like some beef stew?"

"Sure!"

He followed her inside, his heart soaring as they made their way to the kitchen. His sleep schedule would surely suffer because of his overzealous love, but he could not find it within himself to care. Yukina was always worth it.

"It was my first time making this dish," the ice-maiden mentioned. "Hiei seemed to like it, so I hope you will, too."

Kuwabara froze, wondering if he heard her correctly.

"The shrimp was here?"

"Yes," she revealed, her back turned towards him as she pulled a pot out of the fridge and set it on the stove. "He has been coming around more often."

Kuwabara crossed his arms over his chest.

"That doesn't sound like him at all..."

Yukina faced him once more, her gaze contemplative.

"I think his experience in the other reality changed his perspective on many things. He seems a little more open and settled now."

"I guess..." he replied, an uneasy weight tugging at his chest. "So, he's been hanging around Genkai or something?"

"No," Yukina said, with a shake of her head. "He's actually been spending time with me."

Kuwabara's eyes nearly doubled in size, his whole body tensing.

"With you?!"

"I was quite surprised at first, but now I look forward to his visits."

Kuwabara frowned worriedly.

"You do?"

"He has a familiar presence about him. And I enjoy our conversations."

"Are you sure we are talking about the same guy, my sweet?" he pressed. "I didn't think Hiei could hold a decent conversation, considering all he ever seems to spew are insults and threats."

Yukina's expression softened.

"I think he only acts that way because you two are friends."

Kuwabara pulled a grimace.

"We aren't friends..."

"Oh Kazuma…" she chided.

"Really, he's mean and nasty and rude!" he asserted. "He's a good ally and he's loyal when we really need him, but I wouldn't call the guy a friend."

"If he was in need of help, you would be there, wouldn't you?" she tested.

Kuwabara hesitated – not because he did not know the answer to that question, but because he was reluctant to admit how easy it had been to reply.

"I would," he conceded lowly. "Even if he wouldn't appreciate it after. Because that's a man's way."

Yukina smiled in acknowledgement.

"It's because you have a good heart," she said sincerely. "And so does Hiei. I only hope that the both of you can realize that one day."

She held his gaze for a moment longer and he relented with a nod. As she turned her back to him and began reheating the leftovers, Kuwabara's forehead puckered in worry. He didn't like what he was hearing at all, but clamped his jaw shut and remained quiet. Genkai mostly kept to herself and Yukina was often left to her own devices. If time with Hiei made her happy – his features contorted at the thought – then he could not try and take that away from her. He supposed he would just have to show up for himself and see what all these visits from the shrimp entailed.

Shaking his head, he returned his attentions to Yukina. She had already finished with the stove, setting his bowl into a tray.

"Let me," he said, taking the tray from her hands and bringing it over to the table.

Yukina joined him with a cup of tea in hand.

He inhaled the rich, savory scent, stomach grumbling with want.

"Thank you for the meal," he said, before bringing a spoonful of flavorful stew to his mouth and grinning from ear to ear. "It's delicious, my love!"

Yukina smiled, that private and pretty way she only ever did for him. Even though he let her know every time he saw her, he didn't think she would ever truly know how deep his affections ran.

"Are you feeling alright, Kazuma? Your face is heating up."

"It's nothing," he said, rubbing the back of his neck and proceeding to finish off his meal.

He ate in a comfortable silence as Yukina sipped at her tea beside him. Quiet evenings like this were his favorites and he wouldn't trade them for anything. He continued eating until his bowl was empty and then he cleared his throat, regaining Yukina's attention.

"So, I was thinking... maybe we could get Urameshi to put some feelers out in the demon world and see if we get any news on your brother."

Yukina appeared to be momentarily shocked, before her expression fell back into its neutral state.

"Kazuma," she began.

"I know we sort of dropped the ball," he admitted guiltily, eyes downcast. "But now that things are settled and we got Botan and Hiei back where they belong, we can finally focus on helping you."

"Kazuma," she tried again.

He grinned excitedly, getting caught up in his idea and the possibility of reuniting Yukina with her family. He didn't notice the way the ice-maiden's eyes fell away from his.

"Maybe Kurama will be willing to make use of his old ties with Yomi," he considered. "And we can even-"

"Kazuma..." she cut in, her voice more insistent this time.

His brows lifted.

"Yes, my love?"

"I've decided to stop searching for my brother," she declared softly.

His heart sank in his chest, brows knitting together. He had failed her; he should have tried harder to help her with her search. If he hadn't been so caught up in his own life and career all these years, they probably would have found him by now.

But it wasn't too late. He refused to let her give up now. Reaching over the table, he took her small hands within his.

"You can't give up hope, my love," he encouraged. "He's out there and we will find him someday."

Her lips extended into a smile, her expression lacking the sorrow or regret he thought he might find there.

"I haven't given up hope at all," she told him.

His brows rose.

"But... you said..."

"I have a feeling that my brother will come to me when the time is right," she explained. "I know it in my heart."

There was determination shining in her ruby eyes, a resolve that he could not question. He squeezed her hand lightly, nodding in agreement.

"I think so, too."

* * *

Hiei's nose twitched and he paused.

Botan watched him curiously, wondering why he had suddenly stopped mid-sentence. The fire-demon had been in the middle of lecturing the Sato siblings about the glaring weak points in their forms when he suddenly erupted into the cutest little sneezing fit.

"Sneezy, sneezy, achoo! Somebody special's thinking about you!" Botan teased, her features morphing into her signature cat-look.

Hiei frowned at her, crimson eyes narrowing disapprovingly.

"Where did you hear that silly little phrase?"

"I made it up based on a human world superstition," she revealed, taking pride in her catchy rhyme. "Pretty neat, huh?"

Hiei did not seem to think so, his expression caught between confused and disturbed, but at least Fubuki managed to derive some entertainment out of it.

"You're so weird, Botan," she giggled.

Kaisei sighed dreamily, a far off look in his blue eyes.

"Yeah, isn't she great?"

Hiei kicked the boy's legs out from under him, causing him to fall backwards onto the cold and grassy dirt floor.

"Pay attention."

Kaisei rubbed his sore backside as he stood up.

"Way to go for the cheap shot, teach," he grumbled.

"You're sorely mistaken if you think the enemy cares about being fair," Hiei countered. "There are no rules in a fight. It would do you well to remember that."

He nodded, straightening his posture and fixing his expression into a more serious look. Fubuki's gaze sharpened as well, as she moved into a defensive stance. Botan was glad to see the two of them taking this so seriously. All was quiet and still in the woods surrounding the Sato family home until Hiei gave them the nod and their sparring continued.

Botan sat at the base of a tree, trying her best to keep up with what was happening. It was a dark night and Hiei took advantage of that, forcing the teens to rely on their senses and instincts rather than their eyes. Though she was interested in seeing how they fared, it was kind of difficult for her to catch a majority of their movements. Eventually, she gave up on it entirely, lifting her gaze to the stars and allowing her thoughts to take her elsewhere.

Ten days had passed since she nearly kissed Hiei outside of the Yukimura Diner.

Ten days had gone by since they both acted like nothing happened.

The fire-demon had joined them more often than not since then and she knew for a fact that he had been visiting Yukina regularly as well. Their little group felt whole again; just like old times. It was so nice and, yet, despite that, something troubling pulled at her soul.

Botan still couldn't forget the sudden desire that overtaken her or the faint remnants of it that remained. She had let her emotions get the best of her and she had almost crossed a line with Hiei that could have ruined everything. She knew that it was a bad idea, she knew that it was impulsive and silly, but she found herself wondering what would have happened if Hiei allowed her to see that moment through to its end. Instead, all she was left with was the bitter taste of disappointment. It lingered within her, creeping in at the most opportune of times.

"Botan."

She snapped out of her thoughts, locking onto Hiei, who was now standing in front of her. He had already put his coat and scarf back on and was staring down at her pointedly.

"Hm?"

"I said, it's time to go," he repeated, holding his hand out.

Botan took it without a second though, enjoying the way firm way his larger hand wrapped around hers as he hoisted her to her feet. He released his grip first and she dusted her kimono off as she looked around.

"Where did Fubuki and Kaisei go?" she wondered.

"Home," Hiei answered. "They tried to get your attention, but you were too far lost in your own mind."

"Oh, poo, that's what I get for being introspective," she pouted.

Hiei's gaze remained on her, questioning and intense and Botan felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.

"I-it was nothing important, though," she lied, waving her hands in defense. "No need to worry."

He grunted, turning his eyes elsewhere as he readjusted his white scarf.

"Thanks for giving them a few tips and pointers," Botan began. "Kaisei and Fubuki are both so eager to learn as much as they can, and they were very happy when I told them that you were willing to spar with them again today."

"You didn't leave me much choice, ferry-girl, considering you pestered me until I said yes."

Botan smiled guiltily.

Silence fell over them and, once again, the darkness of night played on his face, making his crimson eyes glow and softening the sharp edges of his features. They hadn't really been alone since that night at the diner and Botan took a deep, calming breath to ground herself. There was no need to be anxious or nervous. They had lived together for two months for Enma's sake. They had been through many ups and downs, including the issue of their physical attraction to each other. Botan thought they had effectively dealt with it and moved on, but she clearly still had some work to do. She chanced a glance at the stoic fire-demon and mentally cursed the way that her heart fluttered in her chest and melted away all rational thought. He was beautiful, even more so up close. From this angle, she had a perfect view of his sharp, strong features and deep, striking eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hiei's voice cut through the silence.

Amethyst eyes trailed down towards his lips, mesmerized by the way they formed around each word.

"I just..." she trailed off, mouth running dry.

"Woman," he tried.

"I..."

"Botan," he said a bit more insistently.

She snapped out of her daze, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes. She swallowed thickly, her heart racing in her chest. She didn't trust herself at all right now. Especially not when Hiei looked at her like that.

"I'm sorry," she began. "I have to go."

She briefly noticed the way his expression fell and pushed down the wave of guilt that arose because of it. Brushing past him, she summoned her oar and shot off into the sky.

-x-

The following night, Botan sat at the local pub, elbow propped up on the bar and her chin resting in her hand. She sighed deeply as she glanced around at nothing in particular, finger tracing random patterns on the smooth wood finish.

The ferry-girl was in desperate need of help from someone much more experienced and much more practical than her. If she could count on anyone to talk some sense into her - to tell her that she was being ridiculous - it was Shizuru. Right on cue, the chestnut haired woman appeared at the entrance of the bar. Botan perked up considerably, smiling once she had caught the other woman's gaze.

"Shizuru!" she waved her friend over.

She made her way over to the bar, shedding her coat and draping it over the back of the stool.

"I never figured you for the bar type, Botan," she said.

"We frequented this fine establishment in the other reality," she explained. "It was actually owned by Chuu!"

"He's the big guy with the mohawk and the accent, right?"

"The one and only."

"Interesting."

As Shizuru sat down, Botan did not miss the intermingling scents of smoke and perfume that followed her. The psychic had done a stellar job of kicking the habit, but she relapsed every so often, particularly when she was stressed. Concern pulled at blue brows, a frown etched into Botan's features as she regarded her friend.

"Everything okay, dear?" she asked.

Shizuru nodded.

"It's fine," she dismissed with a reassuring smile. "The same old story with work, but I don't want to think about that now."

Botan nodded in understanding, pushing the extra drink she had brought towards Shizuru.

"Here, try one of these, it's pretty tasty!"

Shizuru raised a slender brow.

"Where did you even get the money for this?"

"Lord Koenma," the ferry-girl replied. "He's pretty stingy with funds, but I reminded him of the time I caught him spying on Ayame with his logging system and he was all too eager to supply me with some spending money."

"Blackmail," Shizuru said with an impressed smirk as she tipped her glass towards Botan. "You're downright devious."

The bluette clinked her glass against Shizuru's and then took a sip, letting the cold and fruity drink soothe her nerves. It had been a while since the two of them spent some one on one time and she had missed this. Shizuru's warm gaze and calm presence always helped to settle her into a better mood and, before she knew it, all of the troubles that were at the forefront of her mind took a backseat.

Unfortunately for Botan, her reprieve lasted less than a minute as Shizuru's next words captured all of her attention and caught her heart in her throat.

"So... are you finally ready to tell me what's going on between you and Hiei?"

Botan's eyes widened as she coughed into her drink.

"That's why you called me out here, isn't it?" Shizuru reasoned. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes..." Botan nodded hesitantly, her gaze drifting off to the side. "I just didn't expect you to jump straight to the point."

"I always jump straight to the point."

"That's true."

"But you can take your time," Shizuru reassured in that comforting way of hers. "I'll be ready to listen when you're ready to talk."

Botan lifted her gaze to meet Shizuru's. There was never any judgment housed in those brown eyes, just an empathetic understanding. She nodded at Botan encouragingly and the ferry-girl felt her guard slipping, piece by piece. Taking a deep breath, the she fidgeted nervously with her coaster as she began.

"I think I like Hiei," she blurted out hurriedly. It felt surprisingly freeing to say it aloud like that, especially after suppressing and holding it in for so long.

She snuck a hesitant glance at Shizuru, surprised to see the woman looking as calm as ever under the soft lights of the bar.

"I wish I could say I'm shocked, but considering the things we've all seen, and the way that you're both getting along now, it doesn't seem all that bizarre," Shizuru replied.

Relief flooded Botan and Shizuru's easy acceptance gave her the courage required to continue.

"The truth is... in that other reality, our counterparts were in a relationship. That's the real reason why we were living together."

Shizuru raised a brow, inviting her to continue.

"We had to keep up the ruse… and it was surprisingly easy," Botan recounted.

"You don't say..."

"All that pretending made it all feel real. And well, with Hiei, it was easy. He's just so... you know..."

"You're going to have to elaborate there. Even after all these years, the guy is pretty much a mystery," Shizuru said.

"He's like that at first. But once you get to know him, you'll see that he's just a regular guy, with his own set of quirks and preferences that are actually quite contrary to his character."

"Is that so?"

Botan nodded.

"He's unexpectedly thoughtful and sweet. He's fiercely loyal and he always stands by his word. He's strong and brave and unwavering and-"

She caught herself, a blush sweeping over her cheeks.

"What I'm trying to say is that it was easy to fall for him in that other reality because we were together all the time and always pretending to be something that we weren't," Botan explained. "But now that we're home and he's making an effort to be around us, that pesky little crush is resurfacing. It probably amounts to nothing and I'm just confusing our friendship and closeness, but my mind and heart aren't being compliant. So I need you to talk me out of it, Shizuru. I need you to tell me that I'm being ridiculous."

"I'm not sure I can do that..."

Botan's lips pulled into a pout, not at all understanding why Shizuru was giving her that pitying, sympathetic look.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't think what you're experiencing is just some silly, passing crush."

"What do you mean?"

"You're completely and wholly in love with him, Botan."

"You-you think I'm in love?" she echoed weakly.

Shizuru nodded, brown eyes softening.

"I do," she confirmed. "And that's not exactly something I can talk you out of."

"That's-that's absurd! I don't... I can't..." she trailed off, words failing her as her heart raced.

Recollections of Hiei flashed through her mind, unbidden and unrelenting. She thought of the warmth that enveloped her whenever he was near and the ache that grew when he was gone. She considered the curious way he was always on her mind and in her heart. She remembered how comfortable and at ease she was with him and him alone and how easy it had been to talk to him and tell him the things she had never told anyone before. She thought of how much she trusted him, how much she believed in him and how far she would go for him. How all of her exceptions began and ended with him and no one else.

Placing a hand over her thundering heart, she breathed in and out slowly. Botan had never known love before, but perhaps it felt a little like this.

Botan's expression softened as she looked back at Shizuru.

"I think you may be right..." she breathed out.

Shizuru smiled.

"I usually am," she replied.

Botan let out a little laugh, relief replacing the tension that had wound its way around her as of late. She was no longer burdened by the weight of her uncertainties. She was no longer tortured by the confusing thoughts and urges that threatened to overtake her.

She finally knew the reason behind each flip and flutter of her heart.

She finally understood what that warm affection swimming in her chest really was.

And for now, that was enough.

* * *

Yusuke exited the kitchen and spotted a head of curly, orange hair seated at the smallest table in the corner. Dressed like a respectable member of society in his suit jacket and tie, he was a far cry from the punk who used to roam the streets with his little gang. The psychic usually spent his lunch breaks here, pouring over piles of work with lines of concentration on his face, but today was different. He sat with his arms crossed over his chest and a contemplative frown on his face. His dark eyes were fixed on nothing in particular, and it was clear that his mind was clearly elsewhere.

Yusuke strolled over to him, piping hot plate of katsudon.

"You've got that annoying look in your eye," Yusuke said as he set the meal in front of the distracted carrot top.

Narrow eyes snapped to meet Yusuke's gaze in confusion.

"Huh?"

"You know," Yusuke began, only pausing to pull a chair out and sit on it backwards. "That look that means you're overthinking something and you're gonna start talking my ear off with some new, ESP inspired conspiracy theory."

"If that's how you feel, then maybe I'll save you the trouble and not say anything at all," Kuwabara said huffily as he reached for his chopsticks.

Yusuke tsked, pulling the plate just out of reach.

"Maybe I'm interested," he tempted, a curious glint in his brown eyes. "Maybe I actually wanna hear what you have to say for once."

Kuwabara's features twisted into an indignant scowl.

"Then why didn't you just say that in the first place, Urameshi!" he balked.

"Because riling you up is the best part of my day," he simpered cheekily.

Kuwabara muttered something undoubtedly insulting under his breath, before letting out a sigh.

"Fine, I'll tell you," he conceded. "But only if you promise to keep the wisecracks to yourself."

"Scout's honor," Yusuke swore in return.

"Alright," Kuwabara relented. "It's about the shrimp."

"Yeah, and...?"

"He's been creeping around Genkai's temple lately," Kuwabara revealed grimly.

Interest piqued, Yusuke smirked.

"Does he now?"

"Yeah, he only comes to hang around Yukina and then leaves," he recalled, features twisted in confusion. "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it for myself one day. It was so weird."

Yusuke cracked a genuine smile as he nodded to himself. He always knew the little guy would eventually man up and do what he should have a long time ago.

"Good for him. He's finally stepping up."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Yusuke paused, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"I mean, you know, he's making an effort to stop being such an anti-social loner," he amended.

Kuwabara's mouth pulled into a troubled frown.

"I don't like it," he said. "I don't know what he's planning, but I don't trust him."

Yusuke rolled his eyes.

"If Yukina enjoys his company, who are you to butt in?"

"She only likes him because he pretends to be something he's not whenever he's around her." Kuwabara huffed. "Must be laying it on thick for her to not see the truth."

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Hiei is capable of being a decent guy?"

"It's more than just common decency, though. He's actually _nice_ to her. This one time, he was watching her and he practically smiled!" Kuwabara exclaimed.

Yusuke bit back a snort.

"Oh, no, the dreaded fire-demon is capable of smiling. Alert the media!" he mocked.

"This isn't funny, Urameshi!" Kuwabara agonized. "I think shorty's fallen for Yukina!"

All traces of amusement vanished from Yusuke's expression.

"You're seriously off the mark, here," he replied. "I can tell you with one-hundred percent certainty that you're dead wrong."

"But there's no other explanation for it," he countered stubbornly. "Why else would be always be hanging around her like that?"

"I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for it-"

"Maybe he's got a fetish for pretty, blue-haired ladies," Kuwabara supposed. "That would also explain why he's so attached to Botan lately, too."

Yusuke sent him a piercing look.

"You know, I could say the same about you, considering you practically proposed to her the first time you met and then you jumped ship to Yukina..."

"That's not the point, Urameshi!" he bellowed, the bridge of his nose and cheeks stained red in embarrassment. "The point is, shorty's got some sick interest in Yukina and I'm not gonna let him steal her away from me!"

Yusuke grimaced.

"He's not-"

"He is! You haven't seen the way he looks at her. You haven't seen how he's always hanging around her like some weird pervert-"

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Yusuke said, taking a stand.

"It's the truth-"

"Nope, not listening anymore," he retorted as he swiveled the old wooden chair back into its proper place. "Congratulations, you've officially disgusted me."

Kuwabara frowned up at him and Yusuke sighed as he regarded him.

"I'm only gonna tell you this once, out of the goodness of my heart, so listen well: if you plan on not being burnt to a crisp or chopped up into tiny little pieces, never, ever breathe a word of what you've just said to anyone else."

"But-"

"And that's the end of this conversation," he cut in, glancing over at the plate of tonkatsu. He had made the big lug's favorite and he'd be damned if it went to waste. "Less talking, more chewing."

Kuwabara grumbled something about bossy jerks, but picked up his chopsticks and dug in regardless. His expression brightened upon taking his first bite and Yusuke shook his head fondly at the sight. As he advanced towards the kitchen, he considered what he had just learned. Though the conversation had taken a disturbing turn, it was good to know that Hiei was finally making an effort with Yukina. It was about damn time.

* * *

"Off to see your twin sister?"

Hiei paused. He was in the courtyard, a few steps from the fortress' exit when Haru popped out of seemingly nowhere.

"How did you know?" Hiei questioned suspiciously.

"Mukuro told me!" Haru chirped. "I was surprised to hear that you had a sister, much less a twin at that. You never told me about her."

"I don't tell you about a lot of things," he deflected.

"I know and that's super uncool of you."

"What's your point?" Hiei countered impatiently.

"I want to meet her!" he said, green eyes pleading.

"I don't want you to."

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that, Hiei!" Haru said. "I'm sure she wants to see the fortress. Bring her over some time."

Hiei glanced around. The fortress was filled with all manner of crude, lewd and dangerous beings. Only a person as deranged as the ferry-girl would get excited over the prospect of touring it.

"This is no place for Yukina," he replied.

"Oh, such a pretty name," Haru gushed. "I bet she's a real looker, too!"

Hiei glared, his energy beginning to rise in warning.

"Lighten up, bud, it was just a compliment," Haru urged, not at all alarmed by Hiei's reaction. "Besides, I've got my eye on someone else, anyway."

Hiei's energy waned, the tension leaving his body as he took in the other man's words for the truth.

"The enchantress, I presume."

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Haru asked, eyes wide in amazement. "Are you using that third eye of yours to read my mind?"

"Hn. I wouldn't waste my energy on something so trivial," Hiei retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "You were pitifully enamored with her in that other reality."

"Oh... well, that makes sense," he admitted, a slow smile unfurling on his lips. "I'm crazy for the girl."

"Then go pester her and leave me be," Hiei advised.

Haru was momentarily caught off guard by the gruff and dismissive response and the fire-demon took that opportunity to stalk off. He was unsurprised when he eventually heard footsteps gaining on him. The emotion reader was relentless.

"I'll leave you alone as soon as you agree to let me meet Yukina!" Haru bargained as he trailed after the fire-demon.

"No."

"But I already introduced you to my family!"

Hiei stopped in his tracks, whirling around to pin the other man with an accusatory look.

"You practically set me up," he recalled, mouth pulled into a scowl. "You said we were going to a bar."

"And I took you to a bar," Haru replied innocently.

Crimson eyes narrowed.

"One owned by you and your kin."

"Yup! The good old family business!" Haru grinned, looking extremely pleased with himself. "You met my parents and my sister, so it's only fair that I meet yours."

Hiei's jaw clenched in irritation.

"It'll be great," Haru continued, green eyes twinkling in amusement. "I'll get to hear all sorts of cute and embarrassing childhood stories and recollections..."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hn, even if you do happen to meet her, she would have nothing to tell."

"Why not?"

"We didn't grow up together."

Haru's expression fell.

"You didn't?"

"She doesn't even know our relation," Hiei continued.

"How is that possible?" Haru managed. A myriad of expressions passed over the other man's face, before his features dropped into a look of confusion. "Why doesn't she know?"

"It's a long story," Hiei replied, not exactly in the sharing mood.

"But you've been visiting her all this time, right?" Haru questioner. "So who does she think you are?"

"Just a former ally to the spirit detective team. She has unfortunately grown attached to them."

"Oh, I see..." Haru nodded in understanding.

Hiei thought that would be the end of it, but then the other man's expression slowly morphed into something else - something strained and wary.

"What's with that look?" Hiei probed irritably.

"...Haven't you ever worried about what might happen if your sister misread the situation and got the wrong idea?" Haru supposed.

"The wrong idea about _what_?"

"The wrong idea about you?" Haru clarified. "You're so standoffish, but you clearly make all sorts of exceptions for her. What if she starts to think you like her?" Haru's expression turned horrified. "What if she starts to like you!"

"You sick bastard," Hiei snarled.

"Hello? Emotion-reader here, I make it a point to put myself in other people's shoes," he explained. "If I was getting special treatment from someone of the opposite sex who hated everyone else, I'd think she had the hots for me, too!"

"Don't say 'too' - Yukina isn't foolish like you," he countered, trying to dispel those disturbing thoughts from his mind.

"Hey!"

"There is a good chance she already knows who I am," Hiei admitted begrudgingly. "Even she is not that naive."

Haru set his hands on his hips in exasperation.

"So why don't you just tell her the truth, then?"

Hiei opened his mouth to reply, but the fight drained out of him when he realized that there was no suitable answer or explanation for his secrecy. He had kept his identity from her out of habit rather than out of necessity as of late. Now that things had changed, now that he had known and appreciated her for the person that she was, he found no reason to hide his origins. There was no sense in maintaining the lie.

Turning his eyes back to Haru, he hardened his gaze.

"Perhaps I will bring her here one day," he considered, noting the way the other man perked up. "But she is nothing like me and she isn't strange like you. I don't want you bothering her."

"I won't bother her. I bet she'd love me," he sniffed.

That was half the problem. She would like Haru. He fixed his gaze on the afternoon sky, already steeling himself for what was to come. The hiruiseki stones rested against his chest, their weight feeling heavier all of a sudden.

"I will most likely return late," he said. "Make sure Mukuro is aware."

"Aye, aye, General!" Haru saluted.

With that, the fire-demon set off of the human world, sprinting past the large city buildings and through the dense forest until he reached the outside of Genkai's temple. He stood in front of the structure with his hands balled into fists and arms stiff at his sides. He wasn't nervous, even if he suddenly felt lightheaded and his heart was beating at a higher rate than normal. He was not apprehensive, even if his palms were beginning to sweat and mouth ran dry. This was long overdue.

He strode to where he sensed Yukina and found her setting two cups of tea on the table. Judging by the scent, she had made it exactly as he preferred.

"Hiei," she greeted pleasantly. "Right on time, as always."

That gentle way she regarded him always put him at ease and he felt a tranquil serenity wash over him as he took a seat.

The past few weeks were eye opening. Hiei had been forcing himself to spend time with the others - the way it was in the other reality - and it was surprising how quickly it had stopped feeling like a chore. They were the very souls he had struggled with, fought beside and overcome nearly impossible odds with. Such bonds didn't disappear with the passage of time, even if Hiei had once tried to pretend that they did.

It was time to finally face the fact that they were here to stay, as well as the even more startling realization that he did not mind having them around.

He looked at his sister and he knew that it was time. She deserved his honestly more than anyone else. This was long overdue.

"Yukina," he said determinedly.

Ruby eyes met his gaze and he froze. She looked at him the same way the other Yukina did, with warmth and affection in her eyes. There was no denying that she knew the truth, deep down.

"I..." he began, the words heavy all of a sudden.

Her expression did not waver. She simply waited patiently, like she always had done. She waited for him for so long, he realized. He didn't see the point in prolonging it.

Dipping his fingers beneath the collar of his blue shirt, Hiei pulled out both their twin hiruiseki stones. They glinted even in the low light of the room, hers as perfect as the day they were formed while his was weathered and marred. His gaze bore into hers as he let them rest against his chest, out in the open for her to see.

"I'm your brother," he declared evenly. "I'm the one you've been searching for all this time."

Yukina's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her bottom lip quivering slightly. If she cried, he would never forgive himself. He didn't care if it was out of joy or relief or some other emotion that she was once taught to repress. She shouldn't be shedding tears - not over someone like him.

"I knew," she whispered, before sucking in a shaky breath and smiling. "I knew it was you."

He felt something loosen and break off within him. Whatever it was - the chains of his past, the burden of keeping this damned secret or the innate and irrational fear that she may reject him - it was gone and he was free.

"I was wondering how long it would be until I heard you say those words," she said.

He swallowed thickly, a new weight blanketing his chest.

"Yukina-"

"It's okay," she reassured. "I'm just glad that you finally did."

He averted his gaze, feeling wholly undeserving of the emotions shining in her eyes. He knew that she wasn't disappointed. She accepted him for who he was and not because of he blood that ran through his veins. She liked him. Loved him, even, despite the fact that he did not deserve it.

"It shouldn't have taken me this long," he said lowly.

"We have our whole lives ahead of us, Hiei. That is more than I could ask for," she said as she clasped her hand over his.

He glanced down at the stark contrast between his ivory, scarred skin and the smooth paleness of her hand, before holding her gaze solemnly. No words would do this moment justice.

"Will you stay a little longer today?" she requested. "There's so much I wanted to ask and so much I wanted to tell you."

He nodded.

"If that's what you wish."

They talked about all manner of things, from the small and inconsequential details to the significant and sensitive topics. She told him about the glacial village and their mother, about her childhood and her life before she left the demon world.

And he, in turn, answered all of her questions honestly and to the best of his ability.

By the time they were finished, the sun had already set. He should have returned to Makai and called it a night - it had been a draining day, after all - but when his feet led him to a portal to the spirit world, he did not think twice before entering.

He wanted to see the ferry-girl.

There was no point in pretending otherwise.

* * *

Botan sat at her vanity, humming to herself as she brushed her hair. Things had been fairly quiet today and she could not complain. A quiet day in the spirit world meant that everyone was safe and sound and that was all Botan could ask for.

Two raps diverted her attention and her eyes went wide at the sight of the raven-haired man standing on her balcony. It was the first time she had seen Hiei since her talk with Shizuru and, although she was still processing her newfound affections, she was still happy to see him.

"Hiei," she greeted, ignoring the way her heart fluttered as she opened the doors and allowed him inside. "What an unexpected surprise."

He grunted in response, stepping further into the room and casting an acute eye over the area.

"It's every bit at pink and frilly as I thought it to be," he observed flatly.

"Hey!"

"But it admittedly suits you," he finished.

Botan blinked, pressing a finger to the corner of her mouth.

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult..."

"Take it how you see fit."

"Compliment it is, then!" she decided cheerily.

Hiei held her gaze evenly, his expression less critical now and softer around its usual edges. He seemed different today, but Botan could not quite place her finger on it. Taking a seat on her bed, she patted the empty space beside her invitingly. Hiei joined her without further prompting, his presence beside her both comforting and familiar. As they sat there quietly, it occurred to Botan that she was not at all anxious or nervous now that they were alone. She glanced at him and the desire that arose was not scary or unfounded; it all made sense now. Her heart beat rhythmically and steadily, the knowledge of what she truly felt for him more settling and calming than anything else.

"I told Yukina," Hiei said suddenly.

The words echoed in her mind, the gravity of it all taking a moment to sink in.

"You told her?" Botan repeated slowly and almost disbelievingly.

He nodded in confirmation.

"Oh Hiei!" Botan exclaimed, overcome with emotion. He did not stop her as she enveloped him in a tight embrace and continued. "That's wonderful! I knew you would eventually!"

"There was no reason to hide the truth from her anymore," he explained.

Botan released him and nodded eagerly.

"Yukina must be so delighted."

Hiei considered it for a moment, eyes drifting towards the balcony and out into the distance.

"She seemed to be," he agreed.

Botan clapped her hands together, beaming brightly.

"Well, you just made my night!"

Red eyes fell upon her again.

"It doesn't take much to make you happy, woman."

"I'm doubly happy, once for Yukina and once for you, so there!" she shot back.

"Hn."

He looked around the room again, his gaze landing on an old picture they had taken years ago. She remembered it well. Yukina refused to be a part of the photo, scared that her soul might get captured. The only reason Hiei was present was because Yusuke had dragged him into it.

"Do you remember that day?" she asked conversationally.

"Vaguely."

"It was so long ago, but it feels like yesterday," she reminisced fondly. "I almost let it slip that you were Yukina's brother. I thought you were going to kill me!"

"I probably wanted to."

"You wouldn't have, though."

"Don't be so sure about that, ferry-girl," he returned.

She hummed in response, fully well knowing that he was bluffing. Her eyes moved to a recent photo of the Sato siblings and she turned to Hiei excitedly.

"Oh! Fubuki and Kaisei had their first mission. A low-level demon infiltrated and was trying to get a quick and easy meal. They did a great job capturing him."

He nodded.

"They're excited to see you again... they keep asking me when their next lesson will be."

"They shouldn't hold their breath."

"Oh, and would you believe that Yuuto has showed up, as well?" she mentioned. "He's a psychic in this world. Koenma employed him as part of the team."

Crimson eyes narrowed in disapproval.

"Isn't he a little old?" Hiei insulted.

"There is about a decade's age gap between himself and the Sato siblings, but they get along well," Botan said. "Besides, Kurama was several hundred years older than you and you were several decades older than Yusuke and Kuwabara."

"If he is part of the team, then I assume you work closely with him now," Hiei concluded.

"Yes, he is an official spirit detective now. We are in contact regularly."

He did not comment, but his entire countenance seemed to darken along with his expression. Botan tilted her head a little to catch his gaze with a questioning pout of her own.

"What's wrong, Hiei?"

"Has he tried anything?" he asked lowly.

"I don't understand..."

"With you."

"Um?"

"Has he tried to make a move on you?" Hiei questioned, pinning her with a skeptical moue.

Botan's eyes widened as a hand flew to the middle of her chest.

"Goodness no! You don't actually think his feelings are the same in this reality, do you?"

"You have always been oblivious to these things," Hiei scoffed, his frown deepening. "It took you far too long to realize the truth in the other reality, so I shouldn't be surprised that you haven't noticed it yet in this one."

Botan's eyes rolled upward as she replayed her handful of interactions with the debonair psychic. He was awfully friendly, polite and kind to her and her alone. He often asked her to spend time outside of work, just the two of them together without the Sato siblings. And he always made it a point to compliment her whenever they crossed paths. Although they only knew each other for a short while here, he had taken to giving her the same preferential treatment he did in the other reality.

Her hands flew to her face, covering her reddened cheeks.

"Oh dear, I think he does like me!" she realized.

All was silent for a moment, until Hiei spoke up.

"...Does that please you?" he asked carefully.

Botan shook her head. "I'm flattered, but no, I wouldn't say that I'm pleased."

He cocked brow, lips pressed into a loose line as he mulled her words over.

"You almost look surprised, Hiei," she observed.

"He seems like the sort that women fawn over because he is sentimental and soft," Hiei supposed. "And you and I both know that you have always taken in interest in anything romantic and sentimental."

"Well, I can definitely see why he would be popular with the ladies..." she admitted honestly. "But I don't really care for the gentlemanly, roundabout type. I prefer someone more straightforward and blunt, loyal and steadfast. I don't necessarily need flowery words and grand gestures, so long as his actions mirror what is in his heart."

It occurred to her that she had essentially described Hiei and she hoped she hadn't said too much too soon.

"I see," he accepted.

Pushing away all reservations, she regarded him curiously.

"What about you?" she probed.

Hiei's expression hardened as he averted his gaze.

"I don't have a type."

Botan had expected him to ignore the question entirely or say that he had no time for or interest in romantic partners, but the dodgy way he responded only served to further fuel her curiosity.

"Then... what sort of traits do you like?" she pressed.

"I don't know."

"Oh, come on, Hiei, I told you all of mine," she said, poking his shoulder insistently.

He stubbornly refused to reply, instead pursing his lips together and continuing to avoid eye contact.

"Fine, I suppose I will just have to infer for myself," she persisted, tapping a finger to her chin. "Let's see... something tells me that you prefer the strong, stoic and silent type."

"…"

"Someone who can match you in strength and wits and has her emotions in check."

"…"

"Someone who is composed and respected and revered," Botan finished. "How's that for my expert analysis?"

Hiei sent her a withering look.

"You do realize you just described Mukuro, don't you?" he asked.

"Well, I imagine you would fancy someone like her!" she supported.

"You couldn't be any farther away from the truth, ferry-girl," he muttered with a shake of his head.

"Then enlighten me!" she urged, leaning closer to him.

His expression wavered slightly and she knew she had him right where she wanted him.

"Oh please tell me, Hiei!" she implored, hands clasped together as she inched forward. "I won't say a word, I promise. It'll be just between you and me and these four walls. Cross my heart and-"

Hiei sighed.

"Fine, woman," he relented. "If only to get you to stop harassing me."

Botan grinned, nodding for him to continue.

"I prefer the type who talks too much, feels too deeply and has no qualms with nagging and pestering me into doing what she wants. She is far too happy and cheerful to be normal, a little twisted and has a habit of blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. A contradiction and an enigma; she is the sort who constantly confuses and intrigues me."

His sharp gaze had come to rest on her pointedly and Botan's eyes widened. Her heart quickened as she considered all of the ways Hiei had just described her and then she pouted when she realized what he was doing.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you, Hiei?" she gathered.

He looked away again, his expression entirely unreadable.

"Hn. Think what you will."

"That wasn't nice at all, mister! I almost thought you were being serious."

"And what if I was?"

"Huh?"

"What if I was telling the truth?"

Botan's mouth opened and closed several times, her brain short-circuiting. It did not help that he was staring at her with that serious look on his face, crimson eyes resting on hers so searchingly and intently. Eventually, he cracked a smirk and Botan frowned, pushing at his shoulder indignantly.

"Stop teasing me, Hiei!"

He barely budged.

"I'm not teasing you, woman," he defended. "You are the one who is getting riled up all on your own."

"You're horrible!" she huffed. "The absolute worst!"

Hiei's smirk returned as he cast a sideward glance at her.

"I know."

"You're lucky I put up with this treatment, mister."

"Hn, I suppose I am."

Botan smiled, unable to stop the warmth that surged up from within and spread outwards as the two of them settled into an easy silence. Her heart beat steadily in her chest, each pulse echoing the truth that was there all along.

If she was not sure before, she was absolutely certain now.

She really was in love.

* * *

Almost nearing the end! Thank you so much for following this story up to this point. You guys are seriously the best readers ever.


	25. Chapter 25

Botan skipped down the halls, a flower in her hand.

"He loves me," she said, plucking the petal from its stalk with a small smile. Her finger moved to another petal, her expression souring. "He loves me not."

The ferry-girl carried on in the same manner, leaving petals in her wake as she went through her fifth flower. Her expression brightened as she reached the very last petal and she let out a victorious cheer.

"He loves me!"

"What are you going on about?"

Botan skidded to a halt, concealing the stalk within the folds of her kimono sleeve as she blinked back at Koenma. He was in his toddler form, floating around at eye level to avoid being stepped on.

"Well?" he pressed.

"Oh... um... nothing, sir."

His large, brown eyes passed over the trail of petals, before settling back on her.

"You've been on cloud nine for a while now," he observed casually. "Always humming and prancing around."

Botan avoided his gaze expertly.

"I've simply been in a good mood is all," she explained, poking her index fingers together.

"It seems to me like someone is head over heels," he suspected.

"W-well..." she paused, returning her gaze to her oldest friend hesitantly. "Would it be a big deal if I was?"

"Not really," he replied through a shrug. "It is your life."

Botan's face split into a grin as she threw her arms around his small form.

"Oh, thank you, Lord Koenma, I knew you would understand!"

He waved her off dismissively after she had released him.

"Of course," he said. "Yuuto is an upstanding and honest guy. I have no qualms with him."

The ferry-girl stiffened.

"…Yuuto?"

"Yes... isn't that who you're so enamored with?"

Botan shook her head, mouth pressed into a line.

"Oh... then is it Kurama, perhaps?" he guessed.

"No…"

The Prince's tiny features hardened a bit, his gaze turning wary.

"Yusuke?"

"Lord Koenma, he's with Keiko!"

"...Kuwabara?"

"You know he only has eyes for Yukina!"

"Well, I'm running out of options here and I really don't want to say who I'm thinking of next-"

"It's Hiei," she confessed finally. "I'm in love with Hiei."

Koenma's eyes widened dramatically, his mafukan nearly flying out of his mouth as he exclaimed, "Hiei?!"

She nodded, ponytail bouncing perkily behind her.

"Really?" he asked, as though he could not trust his own ears.

"Yes, really," she confirmed.

Koenma folded his arms, his brow furrowed in thought as he sucked on his mafukan. After a few moments of terse silence, Botan took a step forward.

"Sir…?" she began, her voice thin and tentative. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that Hiei is dangerous, violent and unpredictable."

Her shoulders fell, lips pulling into a pout as he continued.

"But," he said, his expression easing up as his tone shifted into a more positive one. "He has always been a reliable ally and he seems to have settled down over the years."

Botan's entire countenance brightened as she nodded eagerly.

"Yes," she agreed. "Hiei is a very decent guy. You'd be surprised by how considerate and sweet he can be!"

Koenma raised a brow.

"Something really miraculous must have happened in that other reality," he muttered.

Botan laughed sheepishly.

"You could say that..."

Silence swept over them once more and she cleared her throat, gathering the courage to ask the question she had been hesitant to.

"Sir, are my feelings… are they a problem?"

Koenma held her gaze evenly, the moment stretching between them agonizingly slow, before he finally shook his head.

"No, I don't believe it is," he said. "So long as this doesn't obstruct your duties, I have no problems with who your heart chooses."

Relief seeped through her features as she smiled.

"Thank you, sir."

"I should warn you, though, the rest of our kind may not be as open minded."

"I know," she replied. "But I'm glad that I've at least got your stamp of approval."

He nodded reassuringly.

"You always do."

* * *

Hiei threw his rucksack over his shoulder as he exited his quarters. History had a strange way of repeating itself and, once more, he was roped into spending another weekend at the fox's family cabin. He wasn't sure who suggested it, but Botan seemed to be just as surprised as he was over how closely the events had followed that of the other reality. She had predictably insisted he go and when Yukina also expressed the same wish, Hiei knew that he had little to no choice in the matter.

Truthfully, though, he was not entirely opposed to it. If it made Yukina happy, he would bear it. And if it gave him the chance to have more time with the ferry-girl, then it would not be a complete and total waste of his time.

His thoughts turned reflective as he walked down the large corridors. He had previously thought himself too broken, too closed off to ever experience life the way that the others did, but Botan adamantly insisted that he had the ability to care and to feel. She believed in him and, in the end, she was right.

She told him that love came easily; in his opinion, it had come far too easily for him. It infiltrated his heart and his mind until it had overcome him and become a steady part of his soul.

While he was content with the way things were currently, he knew that it would not be long until he started to want more than what had formed between them.

Moving forward with the ferry-girl would not be easy – nothing ever was in his life – but Hiei did not much care about the difficulties that lie ahead. It did not matter to him that they were from different worlds, nor did he care about the many differences that spanned between them. He had already resolved to face them head on, like he did with everything else. There was just one thing he had to do before that.

Steeling himself, he pushed open the large doors and strode into the throne room.

Mukuro lowered the scroll she had been reading, her blue eye meeting his gaze calmly.

"I thought you would be halfway to the human realm by now," she commented.

"There is something you should know first."

"Go on," she urged. "I'm listening."

"I intend to pursue the ferry-girl."

Mukuro cocked a slender brow.

"You made that much clear when you brought her here," she said. "You did not have to confirm it aloud."

Hiei maintained the eye contact stubbornly, forcing her to see the whole point of this conversation. His hands balled into tight fists at his side as Mukuro leaned forward perceptively.

"Oh, I see," she nodded, gaze sharpening. "You were seeking my approval."

"Don't misunderstand," he denied gruffly. "I was simply giving you the common courtesy of knowing beforehand, you wretched woman."

The corners of her lips quirked upwards as she continued to stare at him expectantly. Hiei's mouth twisted into a scowl. She really was going to make him ask for it.

"You always have an opinion on everything," he bit out begrudgingly. "So tell me what's on your mind this time."

Mukuro sat back again, her posture relaxed and untroubled.

"This may come as a surprise to you, Hiei, but I have nothing to say," she replied. "So long as the spirit world doesn't breathe down my neck over you stealing away one of their precious ferry-girls, I have no qualms with this newfound development."

Hiei released the breath he did not realize he was holding. Mukuro had never been the type to meddle in his affairs or place restrictions on what he could or couldn't do, so he should not have been surprised. Still, the old prejudices ran deep and his sentimentalities towards a ferry-girl could very well stir up trouble in some form or another. The fact that she was unconcerned by it all meant that she was either very lax or that their relationship with the spirit world was improving. Mukuro was not the type to jeopardize her territory or her power, so it must have been the latter.

"Good," he finished, turning to leave.

"And Hiei?"

He halted, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

"Don't screw this up," she urged.

He held her gaze levelly, a silent understanding passing between them. Mukuro knew him on a deeper level than most and understood just how important the ferry-girl and all that she represented was for a soul like Hiei's. The fact that she not only accepted, but endorsed his wishes was more than he could ever ask for.

He nodded once and the turned away, the unspoken gratitude hanging in the air between them as he left.

The door closed behind him loudly and Hiei fixed his gaze ahead. Haru was waiting for him, back pressed against the wall and arms folded loosely across his chest.

"I know you weren't going to leave for the entire weekend and not say goodbye to little old me, were you?" he teased, green eyes twinkling in amusement.

"That is exactly what I had intended."

Haru slung an arm over Hiei's shoulder.

"Good thing I caught you before you could slip away, then!" he grinned. "I'll walk you out."

"I prefer that you didn't," Hiei said, shoving the man off of him.

Haru pretended not to hear him, falling into step with the fire-demon and strolling leisurely with his hands in his pants pockets. They walked past the grotesque and morbidly dark walls in relative silence. It wasn't until they stepped foot outside, the red skies and cool air greeting them, did Hiei speak again.

"This is far enough," he said.

"Ah, it's no trouble, I'm going this way, too!"

Hiei's brow furrowed. Haru rarely ventured to this side of Makai.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Because you're not the only one with weekend plans, buddy!" he revealed, clapping a hand against Hiei's back with a grin. "I'm going to go meet Ruka. I've reserved the entire weekend just for her."

"I see."

Interestingly enough, the very same occurrence had transpired in the other reality.

"Yup! I'm pulling out all the stops and I won't stop until she's mine," he professed.

Crimson eyes narrowed in what Hiei hoped looked like skepticism and not at all curiosity.

"And what exactly does that entail?" he questioned.

Haru's expression turned sly, a smirk overtaking his expression.

"Why do you ask, you interested in whipping out the old romance card, too?"

"No."

Haru nudged Hiei with his shoulder.

"You are, aren't you?!"

"I said I'm not."

"But that enamored little look in your eye says that you are!" Haru singsonged.

"Forget I even asked, you simple-minded pest," Hiei insulted as he stalked ahead determinedly.

"Ah, no, wait!" Haru urged out from behind. He sped up until he had eventually caught up to the fire-demon and pouted. "Don't be like that, I was only joking."

"I don't like jokes," he returned stiffly.

"I can see that," Haru muttered under his breath.

Hiei glared and the emotion-reader held his hands up in defense.

"Alright, alright, allow me to leave you with a bit of sound advice, then," Haru implored. "If you really want to woo your lady, just be kind and considerate of her feelings. Listen to her when she talks and do the things you know she will appreciate. Spend time with her when you can. You know, the simple stuff."

He allowed the words to ruminate for a while, before glancing at Haru.

"I thought you would say something more melodramatic and sappy," he admitted.

"Well, all that flowery stuff is nice, too, but I think honesty is your best bet. Don't confuse her by being vague and making her wonder what your intentions are. Tell her what you want directly. The good old: say what you mean and mean what you say."

"Pitifully simple."

"It is!" Haru agreed.

Eventually they came to a fork in the dirt road. Haru shaded his eyes from the bright sun, squinting out into the distance.

"Looks like this is where you and I part ways," he announced.

"Hn."

"Good luck, buddy! I know you can do it!" he encouraged. He was still facing Hiei as he walked backwards on the path, grinning foolishly and giving him two thumbs up. "I'll be rooting for you!"

"Just go, you fool."

Haru chuckled, giving the fire-demon one last encouraging look, before turning around fully and strolling away.

Crimson eyes turned towards the empty path ahead and then Hiei began the journey to the human world. Botan had asked him to meet up in front of the apartment building on Block 7. He made it there in record time, spotting the ferry-girl almost immediately. A sense of dejavu washed over him as he approached the blue-haired woman, who was bundled up in thick layers of human clothing with an expectant smile on her face.

"You made it!" she cheered.

He nodded as she clapped her hands together.

"This is going to be so much fun, I can hardly wait!"

"You're always so easily excitable."

"Maybe so, but you can't blame me! We're about to spend a whole weekend with our favorite people!"

"Your favorite people," he corrected. "I would much prefer to be alone."

She looked unconvinced and he did not bother saying anything else on the topic as his eyes roamed over the familiar brick building.

"Why insist on meeting here instead of the cabin?" he questioned.

"Because we're meeting Kurama."

That's right - the fox had moved in recently, finally cutting the cord from his human mother.

"I thought it would be nice for us to take the drive down there with him," Botan continued. "Shizuru's place is on the way, so we will pick her up and then the four of us can simply kick back, relax and take the scenic route!"

Hiei frowned.

"It sounds like a waste of time." He could make it there in a third of the time. The woman could make it there much quicker, too, if she flew on her oar.

"It'll be fun!" she insisted, linking her arm through his and pulling him along. "Come now!"

They slipped inside of the building as a tenant was exiting and Botan led him to the mail station. Amethyst eyes scanned through the various mailbox plates until she found Kurama's.

"Shuichi Minamino - 4D," she recited knowingly. "Of course."

They made their way up to the fourth floor in the same manner they had done many times over before. Everything was so familiar: the same dull walls, the same dimly lit elevator and the same narrowed halls. They traversed down the hallway, rounding the corner and freezing at the sound of an unmistakably familiar cry. Crimson eyes locked onto a familiar brunette, bouncing an irritable child in her arms.

Botan turned to Hiei with wide eyes, rounded blue brows and parted pink lips. Maki continued to try to soothe the wailing child, oblivious to their reaction, but each and every attempt only seemed to agitate him further. As they approached - she was practically standing in front of the fox's apartment, after all - hazel eyes met Hiei's and all sounds of discomfort ceased.

Shinji began to coo and reach over Maki's shoulder, causing her to turn around to see what had gotten his attention.

"Oh, hello there," she greeted politely.

"Hello," Botan replied, leaning down until she was at eye-level with the child. "What an adorable little boy you've got there. He's simply precious."

Maki smiled as she readjusted him on her hip.

"Why, thank you," she said with a tired smile. "This is the first time he's been calm all day. You two must be heaven sent."

Hiei made a noise of disagreement in the back of his throat. She wouldn't be saying that if she knew who he was and where he came from.

"While I would love to take the credit for this miraculous feat, it's really all due to Hiei!" Botan commended, her hands on his shoulders as though he was one of those spirit world gadgets that she took pride in advertising. "He's great with children! Why, he's a regular baby whisperer!"

Hiei frowned at that, pushing his hands in his pockets and ignoring Shinji as he waved a shy hand at him.

"How cute!" Botan gushed.

"Shinji certainly has taken a liking to you," Maki noted, traces of amusement in her expression and tone as she watched her son attempt to interact with the fire-demon.

The boy made a sound as if to say that he agreed.

"Do you two live in this building?" Maki wondered.

"Oh, no, we were just visiting Kurama," Botan replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Maki tilted her head in a wordless show of confusion.

"Shuichi Minamino," Botan corrected hurriedly.

"Oh, our new resident?"

"Bingo!"

"I see." She nodded. "Well, I'm Maki, I live just around the corner. It's always nice to meet some new faces."

"The pleasure's all ours! I'm Botan and this here is Hiei."

Shinji began to fuss again, stretching and reaching out for the fire-demon.

"Shinji, stop that," Maki chided lightly.

But the boy continued to squirm around and his cries were beginning to gain traction. The young mother couldn't very well hold him properly while he continued to reach for Hiei and he sighed. There really was no point in ignoring her plight when there was one simple way to soothe the boy and spare all of their eardrums. He reached a hand out, letting the child clutch onto his finger. His little hand gripped around Hiei's tightly and, once again, Shinji was instantly pacified.

"You really are a baby whisperer," Maki said in amazement.

"Hardly," he grunted.

"I mean it, Shinji has been extremely fussy lately," she revealed.

Hiei's expression softened as the child smiled at him. He still did not know why his presence calmed the boy so, but he supposed it did not matter. All was peaceful and calm until the door behind Maki opened, revealing the fox and Hiei's expression hardened.

"Sorry for the wait-" he began, before taking notice of the scene. "Oh, hello, Maki."

"Good afternoon Shuichi," she returned. "I was just getting acquainted with your friends. They're absolute darlings!"

Hiei's brow twitched at the compliment and Kurama managed to hide his amusement behind that prim and proper facade of his.

"Yes, they are quite an invaluable pair," he agreed.

The two tenants shared a look that Hiei could not quite decipher, before Maki began to pry her son's fingers off of Hiei's.

"Alright now, Shinji, I'm sure Hiei has places to be," she said. "You're not going to hold him up, are you?"

Strangely enough, the boy did not protest and released him without much prompting.

"Say bye!" she urged.

"Bye-bye!" Shinji repeated.

Botan grinned, waving them both off as they retreated down the hallway.

"I didn't know you were so good with children, Hiei," Kurama commented.

"I'm not."

"You must be," he insisted. "That child really does not take well to strangers."

"Hn," Hiei grunted as he crossed his arms over his chest. "The boy is clearly defective."

Kurama smiled.

"I think you are just much more approachable than you realized."

Hiei glared, sharp eyes narrowed warningly.

"Mention this to anyone and I'll-"

"Yes, yes, I know."

* * *

By the time they arrived, the sun had already set and darkness swept over the area. Hiei and Kurama did all of the heavy lifting, lugging the bags inside while Shizuru and Botan loaded the fridge with the drinks and other perishables. The rustic interior was just as warm and inviting as Botan remembered and she smiled as Hiei brought in the last of the items.

"Kazuma just texted," Shizuru announced. "He says they hit some traffic, but should be here soon."

"Alright," Kurama replied. "I suppose we should figure out sleeping arrangements."

"Well, this is your house... do you have any preferences?" Shizuru asked.

"There are two rooms on the ground floor and two in the upper level," Kurama said. "I would prefer one on this floor."

"Then the guys can stay down here and us girls will take the upstairs," Shizuru decided.

Botan bit her bottom lip, glancing over at Hiei. She had been hoping to stay with him again, but she supposed there was no point in dwelling on it. They had no real reason to room together in this reality and the others would surely find it strange. Besides, there was no telling if Hiei would even be open to such a suggestion.

Emerald eyes fell on Hiei.

"I don't suppose you will want to board with Yusuke or Kuwabara," Kurama inferred. "I will show you to the room where we will be staying."

"That won't be necessary," Hiei said, arms crossed over his chest as he remained where he stood.

Kurama lifted a brow, prompting the other man to explain.

"The ferry-girl and I will share the larger room upstairs," Hiei declared evenly.

Botan's eyes widened in surprise. Hiei did not appear to be bothered by the silence that settled over the area or the attention that rested upon him. He simply kept his gaze fixed on Kurama as if he was challenging the redhead to say something contrary.

"Botan?" Kurama tested.

"Oh, I don't mind," she replied easily. "It was the norm in the other reality, after all."

Hiei glared at her and she brought a hand up to cover her pesky mouth, only now realizing her folly.

"Oopsie…" she said, avoiding Hiei's critical gaze.

Kurama cracked an amused smile.

"I already had a feeling that your living conditions were a bit more intimate than you led us to believe," he divulged.

"You did?" Botan blinked.

"Yes and Hiei's insistence to stay with you confirmed it more than your words themselves."

"Oh really?" she asked, regarding the fire-demon with a sly grin as the proverbial tables turned on him.

Hiei pretended not to notice, mouth pressed into a firm line and jaw fixed in a stubborn jut as he looked away.

"Yes, he has always been a creature of habit," Kurama stated discerningly. "And if this is what you both prefer, then I see no trouble in amending the sleeping arrangements."

Shizuru nodded her agreement.

"Yeah, it still works out if Keiko and Yusuke room together," she determined. "I'll stay with Yukina, which leaves Kazuma with Kurama."

"Perfect!" Botan said, clapping her hands together.

With that settled, Hiei wasted no time in gathering all of their belongings and marching up the stairs. Botan waited until he was out of sight, before turning to face the remaining two.

"Thanks for not making a big deal out of… well… everything," she said.

"We're all adults," Shizuru replied calmly. "If you and Hiei want to sleep together, then that's completely up to you."

"Shizuru!" Botan's cheeks stained with color.

"I agree," Kurama smiled, before adding, "We have no right to meddle in the affairs that take place behind closed doors."

"Not you too, Kurama!" the ferry-girl lamented miserably.

They shared a guilty look of amusement at her expense and Botan frowned. It was awfully devious of her so called friends to tease her, especially when they knew about her feelings towards the fire-demon. Even if she never explicitly told Kurama the way she did with Shizuru, he already proved on several occasions that he was well aware of the truth behind her every interaction with Hiei.

"Oh, you two are very naughty," she huffed, setting her hands on her hips. "I'm going to go and unpack. I hope you'll behave yourselves when I return!"

The ferry-girl fanned her heated cheeks as she made her way up the large wooden staircase. Though it had not been too long since the discovery of her feelings, Botan had more than enough time to accept them. Hiei had been a constant in her life and before she knew it, he had wrapped around her heart so tightly that each beat echoed his name. She wanted to tell him everything - she wanted to tell him just how much he meant to her - and maybe she would this little weekend trip to do so. Maybe it was time to take the dive into uncertain waters.

As she entered the familiar room, she found the fire-demon lying on the bed and staring up at the ceiling impassively. Both of their belongings were strewn on top of the large rug in the middle of the floor and she smiled at him knowingly.

"Aren't you going to unpack?" she asked as she motioned towards his bag.

"I don't see the point," he replied. "It's not as if we will be here for long."

"Still," she began. "It's better than just leaving your clothes to get all wrinkled."

Hiei's expression did not change, indicating that he did not care in the slightest.

"I can do it for you, if you'd like," she offered, before smiling playfully. "I wouldn't want the Prince to sully his hands with such a menial task, after all."

He propped himself up on his elbows long enough to send a menacing glare her way and Botan smiled sweetly in response.

"Do what you will, ferry-girl," he relented eventually.

Botan sat down beside all of their belongings, reaching for his bag and searching through its contents. She was unsurprised to find a startling amount of dark and depressing colors mixed in with the occasional white article. He really hadn't brought much by her standards, but she supposed it would do for the next two days. Pulling out his clothes, she hummed to herself as she folded, sorted and packed them away neatly. She was nearly finished when a startling realization began to dawn on her.

"Hiei..." she began warily.

"What?"

"Why didn't you pack any underwear?"

"I told you before, I don't wear any."

"But you wore it in that other reality," she pointed out.

"Only because the clothing was different," he said, sitting up to stare at her pointedly. "And because you seemed to malfunction every time I didn't."

Botan flushed, clearing her throat as she closed the dresser drawer and started to work through her own belongings.

"Well, underwear aside, it really wouldn't kill you to wear some actual colors..." she urged.

"Hn, you say that as if your tastes are any better."

"Hey!" Botan said, setting her hands on her hips. "My clothes are all tasteful and trendy."

"I'm referring to that patterned atrocity you had me wear last time."

She was unable to hide her mirth as she giggled.

"Oh, but you looked so adorable!"

"Only to a strange woman like you."

She pulled one of her signature cat faces at him, before returning to the task at hand. Every now and again, her eyes would return to Hiei and her heart would flutter in her chest. The fire-demon was donned in his signature black pants and a white, long-sleeved cotton shirt. The hiruiseki stone hung from his neck and rested against his chest, glinting even under the low fluorescent light. Her gaze traveled upwards, taking in the cut of his jaw, the outline of his mouth and the shape of his angular eyes. It was only when red flashed upwards to capture her gaze, did she realize that he was staring at her, too. Her gaze flitted away and she fumbled with her last bit of clothes.

"There," she said triumphantly, closing the drawer and fixing him with a grin. "All done!"

"Hn. Just in time," he replied flatly. "Yukina and the others have arrived."

He hadn't bothered to turn around and look out the window, so Botan took the liberty of checking his claims, pressing her hands against the cool glass as she peered down at driveway. Sure enough, she spotted the others piling out of Kuwabara's beat up, old car.

"Let's go greet them, shall we?" she suggested.

"I don't think they need a welcoming committee, ferry-girl."

"Oh, come now," she said, taking his hand in hers and pulling him along.

He could have stopped her if he wanted to - all he needed to do was stand still and refuse to budge or pull her back - but he didn't. He rarely did. Instead he allowed her to drag him out into the hallway and and somewhere along the way, his hand had enclosed over hers. The warmth that emanated from his palm washed over her entirely, filling her with a sense of stability and security that she did not know she craved until now. She longed for the moment to last, but it ended as abruptly as it had began. The instant they reached the ground floor, he wasted no time in releasing his hold and she reluctantly did the same.

"Hey guys! You sure did take your sweet time!" Botan teased.

"Urameshi insisted on fixing his hair, and we all know how long that takes," Kuwabara grumbled, laden with multiple bags as he struggled to fit through the doorframe.

"Perfection takes time," Yusuke countered with a haughty shrug.

Keiko sighed, shaking her head in exasperation while Yukina looked on in mild amusement.

Hiei chose that moment to step out of the hallway and come into view. He nodded at Yukina and she smiled back at him, ruby eyes lit up happily. Kuwabara watched the exchange, his expression completely unreadable in that moment, before tearing his gaze away.

"So, where's my room?" Yusuke questioned.

"You and Keiko are upstairs," Kurama supplied. "Third door on the right."

"Sweet," he said as he and Keiko disappeared upstairs.

"I'll show you to ours," Shizuru said, motioning for the ice maiden to follow her. "You too, Kazuma, your room is in the same hallway."

After a few minutes of settling in, they had all reconvened on the main floor. The fireplace was lit, flames cracking and heating up the area. Yusuke was whipping up dinner, the mouth-watering scents of his newest recipe already filing the air. Everyone else was gathered nearby, occupying different nooks and spaces within the main floor. This scene was startlingly familiar and Botan smiled as her eyes passed over each one of her friends.

Once again her heart warmed within the echoes of familiarity and home.

-x-

Botan woke up groggily the next morning. Faint recollections of last night returned to her as she squinted against the bright sunlight streaming through the window. Somehow, Yusuke had talked them all into drinking far too much under the guise of one of those drinking games of his. The night was all mostly a blur, but from what she could remember, nothing too outrageous had happened. She checked the time on the wall clock and shot up into a sitting position. It was nearly noon and, from what she could hear, the house sounded far too quiet. Looking down at the empty side of the bed, she frowned. Hiei could have at least woken her up before disappearing.

She threw the covers off of her and quickly made use of the bathroom, before padding downstairs. The living room was empty, but she was surprised to see both Yukina and Hiei in the kitchen, looking well rested and right as rain.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerily, as she walked towards the breakfast bar and leaned against it.

Hiei nodded at her, a low sound of acknowledgment reaching her ears.

"Good morning, Botan," Yukina returned, setting away the last of the dishes as she turned to face her. "How do you feel?"

"Fine, except I wish I hadn't slept the morning away!" she pouted as she glanced at Hiei. "You could have woken up me, mister!"

"Judging by the sound of your snoring, you needed all the rest you could get," he replied.

Botan frowned indignantly.

"I don't snore!"

"You do."

"I don't!"

"You do, woman."

Yukina giggled and they both stared at her.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh. It's just…"

"No, it's alright," Botan reasoned sheepishly. "I'm sure we must make a funny sight, bickering like children."

"If it makes you feel better, no one else has awoken yet except for Kurama," Yukina tried. "We didn't want to disturb you all. It was a late night."

Botan nodded in understanding. She looked around curiously, finding no signs of the redhead anywhere.

"Where did Kurama go off to?"

"The fox is outside," Hiei revealed, his back facing her as he worked at a task that she could not quite see from this angle. "He is most likely monitoring the developments of his death traps."

Botan blinked.

"He does that sort of thing around here?"

"You know he is overly cautious," he replied.

"I suppose you can never be too careful, especially considering the nature of our lives…"

Hiei said nothing as he turned around and set a cup of tea in front of her. Folding his arms over his chest he nodded for her to try it. He had often done the same in the other reality and Botan smiled as she cupped the mug with both hands and raised it to her lips. She blew at the steam, before taking a sip and releasing a blissful sigh. It was sweet and flavorful; just the way she liked it.

"It's perfect. Thank you!"

Hiei nodded in response and Yukina smiled at the exchange.

"I think I'll get started on lunch," the ice-maiden decided. "I'm sure the others will be awake soon and they'll all be hungry."

"Do you need any help?" Botan offered.

Yukina shook her head.

"I'll be okay," she reassured, glancing over at the fire-demon. "I've already enlisted Hiei's assistance."

Botan nodded as a slow smile stretched over her lips. She settled into the plush couch and sipped her tea slowly as one by one the others started trickling towards the living room. The boys had eventually decided to gather some firewood for the remainder of the weekend, while Shizuru and Keiko joined Botan on the couch. They were seated comfortably and covered in a few blankets to keep warm.

"It's still so surreal to think that Hiei was Yukina's brother all this time..." Keiko said quietly as she glanced at the pair.

"Those two are as different as night and day," Shizuru agreed.

Keiko's expression turned teasing as she nudged Botan lightly.

"What's even more impressive is the fact that you managed to keep it a secret this long, Botan."

"Well... I almost slipped a few times…" she admitted sheepishly.

"More than a few," Shizuru replied fondly, having been the one to cover for her on more than one occasion. She leaned back into the couch, letting out a sigh. "But after years of keeping it a secret, it sure is nice for it to be out in the open now."

Botan nodded, eyes drifting towards the twins fondly. Yukina had Hiei on knife duty, instructing him on the proper slicing methods. It was quite the adorable picture. She watched the scene unfold for a few moments longer, before giving them some privacy.

"Say, how did Kuwabara handle the news?" she questioned curiously.

Shizuru's gaze dithered a bit.

"He was angry that he was kept in the dark this entire time," she said. "And he was even more furious that we willingly hid the truth from Yukina."

"As expected," Botan replied guiltily. "I've always felt horrible for keeping such a thing from her."

Shizuru nodded.

"Likewise, but it couldn't be helped. It was a complicated situation from the start and eventually, Kazuma understood that," she said. "Anyway, after his initial shock and anger wore off, he settled down. I think he's still having trouble processing it, though."

"Makes sense. I am, too," Keiko replied honestly.

Silence passed over them for a short while, until Keiko spoke up again.

"By the way, where are you staying, Botan?"

"Hm?"

"Well, I know that Kurama, Kuwabara, Shizuru and Yukina were on this floor. But I had no idea where you were. Or Hiei, for that matter."

"Oh… well… I'm in the room next to yours," she said vaguely.

"All by yourself?" Keiko frowned in concern.

She shook her head.

"Not exactly…" Botan said, pushing the pads of her index fingers together.

"What do you mean?" Keiko asked.

"The thing is, I'm... sort of rooming with Hiei?"

Keiko's jaw dropped, mouth opening and closing and she tried and failed to form a coherent sentence.

"With... but... why?!"

A fresh wave of guilt washed over Botan as she stared back at the confused and bewildered girl. She had come to think of Keiko as a dear friend over the years and, as such, she deserved to know the truth, too. Taking a deep breath, she decided to just come out with it.

"Our counterparts weren't simply roommates in that other reality, they were partners… in a relationship."

Keiko gasped as Botan went on.

"We had to pretend to be together for the sake of hiding our identities and I suppose we both got used to it," she said. "It became comfortable and familiar…"

"You got used to ... to being in a relationship with Hiei?" Keiko surmised.

"I guess you could put it like that," the ferry-girl affirmed.

Keiko fell silent, her gaze lowering as she absorbed Botan's words. She seemed to be piecing the puzzle together, slowly but surely, and when the realization hit her, she wasted no time trying to confirm the obvious.

"Botan... are you-"

The ferry-girl clamped her hand over the other girl's mouth, before looking over at the twins in the kitchen pointedly.

Keiko nodded in understanding and Botan released her. She heard the kettle going off and spoke quietly, hurriedly, under her breath.

"The answer to your question is yes," she confirmed.

Keiko's eyes went wide in disbelief and Botan could only nod sheepishly in response. The trio of boys returned, too lost in their own conversation to notice the tense atmosphere between the girls on the couch.

"Maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere..." Shizuru suggested.

They ended up in Botan's room, seated in a triangle with Botan near the head of the bed.

"So… you and Hiei, huh?" Keiko began, still a little shell-shocked.

Botan nodded.

"A lot happened in that other reality…" she explained.

"Tell us about it… from the beginning," Keiko urged. "I want to try and understand."

"Well, alright…" Botan said, gaze rolling upwards in thought as she recalled the things that stuck out most in her mind. She told them about everything, from their very first day in that reality, to the moments leading up until their last. She told them about the changes she had seen in Hiei, the glimpses of the man behind the stone guard wall he had erected between his emotions and his heart. She told them about all of their misadventures and misunderstandings and about all of the wonderful moments they had shared together. Although she had been jumping all over the place and retelling their stories out of order, the girls seemed to be enthralled nonetheless, hanging off of her every word. Time escaped them until a knock at the door pulled them back to the present.

"Come in!" Keiko said.

Yukina appeared in the threshold.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, I just wanted to let you all know that lunch is ready."

"Thank you, dear," Botan replied. "Sorry for leaving you to do all the work on your own and secluding ourselves up here. We were just talking about… er… about…"

"About your interest in my brother?" Yukina questioned, closing the door behind her.

Botan's eyes widened, glancing at Shizuru and Keiko, before fixing her sights back on the ice-maiden.

"You knew?"

Yukina nodded, a small smile painted on her lips.

"The fond way you talked about him upon returning to this reality was very telling. I could see that a new bond had developed between you two."

"Y-you could?"

"Yes," the ice-maiden asserted. "And I think this is a good thing. You both suit each other."

"She's right. It's hard not to notice the way things have changed between the two of you, lately," Shizuru said. "The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

"I think I want to tell him," she confessed hesitantly, her her heart racing in her chest at the mere thought of it.

"Botan, that's wonderful," Yukina supported.

"I can hardly keep a secret to begin with and... I don't know!" She hid her increasingly flushed face in her hands. "I'm just so happy around him that I can hardly contain it!"

"Aw, you're so in love," Keiko noted.

Botan nodded shyly, still hiding behind her hands.

"Good on you," Shizuru said. "Sometimes you've got to be forward and direct. Take matters into your own hands."

Botan slowly lowered her hands, taking in her friends' expressions. They were all smiling, Keiko's accepting, Shizuru's encouraging and Yukina's radiant. They supported her, they encouraged her and they endorsed this one-hundred percent.

She was sure that she could do it. There was simply no backing down now.

* * *

Hiei watched as all of the women returned downstairs. There was something different about them, though he could not place his finger on it. As they ate, they had all taken to staring at him surreptitiously, casting knowing glances his way. Most peculiar of all was the ferry-girl. She kept looking at him when she thought he did not notice and turning away when she thought he did. It continued to occur for most of the day, until he had cornered her in the hallway.

"Woman, you keep staring at me."

"Oh… I…"

"Tell me why," he ordered.

He took a step closer to her and Botan stiffened.

"It's nothing really!" she tried, hands raised in defense.

"I heard you talking with the rest of them earlier," he revealed.

Amethyst eyes widened in alarm as the color drained from her skin.

"Y-you did?" she asked weakly.

"You told them that our counterparts were in a relationship."

She nodded guiltily.

"And then you all disappeared upstairs," he added.

Botan swallowed thickly. He took another step closer and he could hear her heartbeat quicken as her back hit the wall. She was nervous and rightfully so.

"I can only presume that you told them about everything else in that reality. All the degrading things I was put through."

Botan's gaze fell away from his. She looked as though she wanted to argue against it, but then agreed.

"You caught me!" she said, far too forcefully and hurriedly. "That is absolutely why we disappeared. I was off being a blabbermouth again! And that also explains why I was so skittish all evening – I was afraid that you might find out."

He eyed her skeptically.

"You're still acting strange, even by your standards."

"Y-yes, well, I feel very strange."

"…"

"It must be the time of the month!" she blurted out.

The two of them stared at each other for a moment, Hiei in confusion and Botan, horrified at what she had just said. Luckily for them, Yusuke's voice was loud enough to pull their attentions elsewhere.

"Guys, get in here!"

Botan took the opportunity to slip away and skitter back into the living area. Hiei followed after her, mouth pulled into a slant. The woman was so bizzare.

"You guys up for a little entertainment in the form of friendly competition?" Yusuke asked.

"That all depends on what you had in mind," Shizuru countered.

"How 'bout a thrilling game of Jenga?" he proposed.

"No," Hiei and Botan both declared at the same time.

Botan's reaction was more an indignant shriek, while Hiei's was a firm reply that left no room for arguing.

Yusuke's expression fell into a look of confusion and slight offense.

"Geez what's you guys' deal?"

"I know all about your devious little schemes, Yusuke Urameshi!" the ferry-girl reproached. "And I'm not falling for them this time!"

Yusuke turned to face Kuwabara with a displeased glare.

"Oh, great, you told her?" he accused.

Kuwabara frowned defensively.

"I didn't say anything!"

"What is Botan talking about?" Keiko cut in questioningly.

"Nothing," Yusuke replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know how she is... always going on about something that none of the rest of us are in on..."

Keiko remained unconvinced, eyeing him skeptically.

"Let's just forget Jenga, yeah?" he tried.

"Yeah," the brunette returned dryly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I believe we have a deck of cards in the cabinet drawer," Kurama informed.

"That works!" Kuwabara said.

Hiei stood off to the side. This scene was far too reminiscent of that night during the Dark Tournament when they had all gathered in his and Kurama's shared room - for reasons Hiei still could not fathom - and insisted on pestering him into playing silly little human games. He had remained firm in his decision not to, eventually leaving the room entirely for the sake of finding some peace, but this time around, as he watched them gathered around the table in excitement, the need to flee was long gone.

"C'mere," Yusuke said, slugging an arm around his shoulders and dragging him towards the table. "You've got the best pokerface around, right after Kurama. I need you on my team."

"I'm not familiar with these trivial human games."

"I'll teach you."

"I don't care to learn."

"Too bad! You're going to play and you're going to like it," Yusuke ordered, as if he was a parent chiding a small child.

It was only after Hiei abysmally bombed the first two rounds did Yusuke decide to switch him out for Shizuru. Turns out, the oaf was also horrible at the game, and Kurama had somehow gotten Yukina to agree to one round in his stead.

The fire-demon stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his expression only easing up once he felt the familiar energy of the ferry-girl approaching.

"Hiei?" Botan said, regarding him with far more caution than needed.

He cocked a dark brow, the tension in his posture lessening.

"There's something I want to tell you," she began, wringing her hands nervously.

"I'm listening."

"The truth is… I..."

"..."

"I..."

"..."

"I really, really-"

"-Hiei."

The gruff voice could only belong to one person and Hiei's brow furrowed as he turned to face Kuwabara. The psychic seemed lost in his own mind, completely unaware to the fact that he had just interrupted one of the only people that Hiei was willing to listen to.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"No," Hiei replied dismissively, crimson eyes still resting on the ferry-girl. She was going to tell him something important and he wanted to hear what she had to say.

Botan shook her head.

"Don't be like that, Hiei," she berated, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. "Go on, we can pick up where we left off from afterwards."

He kept his eyes on her, unwilling to go, but she only waved him off.

"Please, go ahead."

Sighing, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and trudged after Kuwabara. The psychic led him out on the front porch, where it was raining heavily. The air was cold and the wind was harsh, the skies a thunderous gray. Hiei hated this weather. The sooner they got this little talk over with, the better. Crimson eyes lifted to view the other man critically.

His posture was rigid and tense, as if he was preparing himself for a fight, and hands balled into fists at his sides. The hard press of his lips and the multiple creases in his forehead could only mean that he was overthinking something with what limited brain capacity he possessed. If he didn't stop straining himself, the fool would soon give himself an aneurysm.

For a while, the pitter-patter of the rain was the only sound that prevailed.

And then, Kuwabara finally spoke.

"I never would've guessed in a million years that you were the brother Yukina was looking for," he began, as if it pained him to admit aloud. "But I should have noticed the signs. You guys used to be around the same height and you sort of have the same eyes. She mentioned her brother was a fire-demon a few times and you're the only fire-demon we've ever known, besides Zeru. Plus, you were only ever nice to Yukina and you always looked like you had a problem with me being around her."

"You're rambling," Hiei stated impatiently. "Get to the point."

"My point is… you're her brother and it was really messed up of you to keep it from her all this time," he said sternly. "I was so angry that you guys hid it from me like it was some big joke, but I could forgive that. What I couldn't forgive was how you let her suffer alone like that."

"She wasn't alone," Hiei rationalized. "She had the others."

"But all she wanted was you."

Hiei held Kuwabara's piercing gaze. He knew that. He did not need the psychic to rehash it or shove it in his face.

"It wasn't fair at all…" Kuwabara continued, his voice tight with emotion, before he shook his head and the tension released from his features. "But… you finally did the right thing, so I guess I shouldn't harp on the past."

Hiei frowned in uncertainty. He wasn't sure where the oaf was going with this, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt and remained silent.

"I've had some time to think it over and I can kind of understand why you kept your distance," he divulged. "I mean... you're _you_..."

Hiei bristled as a flash of lightning illuminated both their faces.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you've got tons of enemies, your past is chock full of crimes and your social skills kind of suck. You kept your distance because you were trying to protect Yukina in your own weird way."

The fire-demon's mouth pulled into a firm line. There wasn't much to say when the psychic had pretty much hit the nail on the head.

"You took a long time, but I'm glad you finally came around. Yukina's happier now. Everyone can see it and that's because of you, Hiei," he said. "So don't skulk off to the demon world for years at a time and make her sad. If you hurt her, I'll make you regret it."

"I believe that should be my line, you fool."

"I'd never hurt Yukina," he declared firmly, before his gaze dithered and fell to the floor. "...And I know you wouldn't, either."

Hiei tensed slightly. This conversation had somehow become far too sentimental for his liking, but he would not shirk away from it. Kuwabara lifted his dark eyes to regard the fire-demon reluctantly.

"Do you think we should just try to get along for Yukina's sake?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, giving off an air of indifference.

"So long as you refrain from speaking, we should be fine."

"Hey!"

"If that is all you have to say, we're done here."

Kuwabara nodded, the harsher edges of his features smoothening into a more neutral look.

"Yeah, shorty, that's all."

When they re-entered the cabin, Hiei bypassed the others in the living room and took a seat on the bottom step of the staircase. It was a bit darker there, and the solitude he was afforded offset the noise and commotion going on a few feet away. He glanced at the psychic, who had taken to helping Yukina with the card game and looked away.

He did not care much about Kuwabara's acceptance, but he felt as though he had just received it. With the span of a few short minutes, they had somehow come to some sort of roundabout understanding. Something different than the antagonistic and reluctant partnership they were forced to bear. Something closer to what appeared to be the norm in that other reality. It was strange, but not entirely unwelcome, and that was where Hiei's main problem lay.

"Everything okay?" Botan asked, taking up the empty space beside him.

"It's fine."

Her expression softened, that slightly concerned look lingering on her face.

"Are you sure?" she tested.

"Positive."

"Alright," she relented, apparently deciding to let it go and did not push the subject any further.

Fixing her eyes on those gathered around the table, a soft smile graced her features.

"This is nice, don't you think?"

He watched her, all else fading away.

Yes, he could admit to himself, this wasn't so bad at all.

* * *

Later that night, while Hiei was taking one of his infamously long showers, Botan rejoined the girls.

She had tried to talk to the fire-demon few times today, but her nerves won out in the end. Plus, after his little talk with Kuwabara, she thought it unfair to burden him with anything else.

"I couldn't do it," she lamented miserably.

"That's okay, there's no rush," Keiko comforted, rubbing a hand on her back soothingly.

"And there's no sense in forcing yourself if the timing doesn't feel right," Shizuru added.

Botan sent them a look of gratitude.

"I suppose you're both right," she nodded, her optimistic spirit returning to her bit by bit. "I'll simply get a good night's rest, gather up my courage and tell him tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan," Shizuru spurred on.

"Besides, if things went sour, then it would be too awkward to share a room, and I do love being bedmates with Hiei!" she winked.

"TMI, Botan," Keiko said.

The ferry-girl's face fell as she shook her head.

"No! Not like that! Get your mind out of the gutter, girls!"

"You're the one saying dirty things, Botan," Keiko teased.

"I meant it literally! He's very warm and firm and-"

"I don't think his sister wants to hear all the intimate details," Shizuru cut in, tilting her head in the ice-maiden's direction.

Yukina hid her amusement behind her hand as Botan flushed a dark red.

"I was being completely innocent!" she defended.

But they were too busy laughing at her expense to listen. She puffed out her cheeks as she stood up.

"Goodnight girls," she said pointedly, trudging back to her room in her fuzzy slippers.

By the time she had returned to their room, Hiei was finished showering. He smelled like soap and that earthy, comforting scent that she could only associate with him. Her heart warmed at the sight of dark-hair and red eyes and she smiled softly at him.

"All set?" she asked.

Crimson eyes rested on her calmly as he nodded.

She closed the door behind her and extinguished the lights. Like clockwork, they proceeded to slip under the covers and settle in. Hiei radiated enough heat to keep her from feeling the effects of the cold weather and it quickly lulled her into a sense of security. Closing her eyes, she released a deep breath. Tomorrow would be a new day. She would most definitely tell him of her feelings then.

* * *

The next morning, Hiei awoke to the ferry-girl latched onto him. It wasn't the first time she had and crossed the invisible barrier between them and, if he was fortunate enough, it would not be the last.

Hiei remained still, not wanting to wake her as she snuggled closer and let out a contented sigh. He glanced down at the sleeping woman as he thought back to how quickly things had changed. For years he had overlooked the ferry-girl and now, it was as if she was the only one he could see.

In the past, the subject of love and all that it encompassed was considered nothing more than a needless sentimentality. Such concepts were so far removed from him that the mere thought of it ever reaching him was laughable. But Botan had found her way into that dead heart of his and made it beat again. It was slow and gradual, until she had become a part of him that he could not do without.

Hiei did not know how she felt about him, but it was obvious that she had liked him a great deal more than he deserved. Perhaps one day soon, he would finally tell her the truth. For now, though, this was enough.

She stirred, her expression scrunching up as if she did not want to wake.

"Hiei?" she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Ferry-girl."

"What time is it?" she asked, releasing him to rub at her eyes.

He looked over at the little clock on the wall.

"Still early."

He sat up and she followed. Her hair was a mess, candy-colored eyes half lidded and clothing slightly rumpled, but she still looked like a sight too good for his eyes. She smiled at him, brighter than the sun that streamed through the blinds.

"Good morning," she greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," he confirmed.

"Me too!"

"..."

"..."

"...Well, this pillow talk is pretty abysmal," she teased.

Hiei stared back at her, unimpressed.

"I told you that you're using that term wrong, woman."

"But I like it!" she said. "It's practical and cute!"

"Hn."

Her expression turned more serious all of a sudden, her brow creasing as she seemed to remember something significant.

"What is it?" Hiei prompted. "You've been acting peculiar for some time now."

"I don't know if this is the right time to say this..." she trailed off, drawing patterns into the bedsheets.

"There will never be a right time if you continue to talk yourself out of it," he stated.

"Okay," she conceded, taking a deep breath and releasing it. "Okay."

Amethyst eyes lifted to capture his gaze as Botan took his hand in hers. She always ran colder than him, her skin cool and smooth against his. Clearing her throat, she finally began.

"Hiei, I'm in-"

A knock on the door startled them both.

"Rise and shine everyone! Time for a good old morning hike."

Yusuke voice was muffled through the other side of the door, but they could hear him retreating as he proceeded to rouse the rest of the cabin's inhabitants.

Botan groaned, throwing the covers over her head and burrowing herself underneath the sheets.

"Is this a sign?" she muttered.

"What?"

"Or perhaps a bad omen?"

He frowned.

"I don't know what you're getting at."

"Oh, why is my luck so dismal!" she whined.

"Woman," he pressed.

"Never mind me..." she sniffed pitifully. "You go ahead first. I'll be out shortly."

He dragged a frustrated hand over his face, before shaking his head at the ferry-girl underneath the bundle of covers.

It was far too early to be this confused.

-x-

Hiei sat at the base of a tree, the afternoon sun beating down on him. He watched uninterestedly as the fox's rose-whip cut through the air and came dangerously close to snagging on the oaf's clothing. Their sparring had barely managed to hold his interest and his mind continued to drift further and further away.

He thought back to their earlier hike and how the women continued to regard him in the same unfounded manner as before, whispering amongst themselves and going on about something he was not privy to. The ferry-girl continued to deviate between her normal, cheery persona and that blushing, skittish shell of herself. And Hiei had continued to grow increasingly confused and weary from it all.

He was granted a brief respite when the women decided to retire back to the cabin, leaving the former spirit detective team to engage in some light sparring. He thought their absence would be a good thing, but apparently, his mind was incapable of focusing on anything other than the ferry-girl at the moment.

Hiei frowned. He did not think he had done anything to warrant such a reaction from her, but she had only taken to behaving strangely around him. She was obviously overthinking something. Or not thinking enough. He could never tell with her.

"What's wrong?" Yusuke said from beside him. "I thought watching Kuwabara get his ass handed to him was one of your favorite pastimes."

Hiei forced his gaze back to the fight, watching Kuwabara's spirit sword as it struggled to maintain its form.

"It is," he replied.

"Then why are you hardly paying attention?" Yusuke asked.

The fire-demon rolled his eyes.

"Because even I lose interest in a one-sided fight like this."

As if to prove his point, Kuwabara relinquished his sword and called for a break. Kurama's weapon returned to nothing more than a harmless rose and they both treaded towards Hiei's current position, picking up the water bottles near his crossed legs.

"Good effort," Yusuke encouraged. "But your stamina could use some serious improving."

"Excuse me for not being a slowly aging demon, Urameshi!"

Yusuke chuckled.

"Yeah, we can't all be as lucky as me."

They ended up seated around the base of the tree as Kuwabara recovered his breath. Dead leaves swayed precariously from their positions on the branches, falling off and collecting around them. Hiei felt Yusuke's gaze on him and he knew that whatever was to come out of his mouth would be unpleasant.

"So, tell me, man to man: what's up with you and Botan?"

Hiei's features hardened as noticed the curious way that Kurama and Kuwabara's gazes landed on him.

"That is none of your concern," he answered evenly.

Yusuke grinned cheekily.

"Ooh, that means there's definitely something noteworthy going on."

"How do you figure that, Urameshi?" Kuwabara questioned.

Yusuke cocked a thumb in the fire-demon's direction.

"When he gets all tight-lipped and defensive like that, it always means he's hiding something."

"I'm not hiding anything," Hiei gritted.

"Yeah? Then why did Keiko tell me that you guys were sharing a room?" Yusuke teased.

"They are?" Kuwabara echoed in disbelief.

"Yep," he nodded.

"At least take her out to dinner first," Kuwabara ribbed.

"I should mention that Keiko also said that nothing 'untoward' was going on."

Hiei crossed his arms over his chest.

"Your harpy seems to know more than need concern her," Hiei muttered.

"Hey-" Yusuke cut in warningly.

"Tell me, has she actually told you anything of importance?" Hiei questioned. "Like the reason behind the ferry-girl's abnornal behavior as of late?"

"…Uh, no, not that I remember," Yusuke answered. "But you know, Botan, she's always on some crazy new shtick."

"Watch what you say," Hiei warned, eyes narrowing sharply.

"Careful, Urameshi, he's getting all defensive!" Kuwabara snickered.

"He doesn't like people talking about his girl," Yusuke noted. "Go figure."

"I never would've expected shorty to be the protective type. Especially after all that stuff he used to say about friendship and love."

"I know. Back in Makai, the dude always had some hot new piece around."

Hiei clenched his fists, his energy rising warningly.

"Ignore them, Hiei," Kurama advised.

Oblivious to the simmering fire-demon, the two continued.

"Wow, the shrimp really got around, huh?" Kuwabara said. "Was he, like, the male harlot of the demon world or something?"

"Nah, that's just the demon way," Yusuke explained. "But I guess all that's in the past now. Seems to me like the only thing that gets him going now are happy-go-lucky, kimono'd up ferry-girls."

The two began to chuckle amongst themselves and Hiei gritted his teeth.

"Get up," he ordered, pulling Yusuke harshly to his feet by the scruff of his shirt.

"Whoa, where's the fire?"

"Prepare yourself, Yusuke. You and I are going to spar."

The former spirit detective smirked, cracking his knuckles.

"Kuwabara was ragging on you, too. You sure you don't wanna take a crack at him first?"

Hiei cast a disparaging glance at the sweat soaked and exhausted psychic.

"Hn, he's not even worth my time."

The two immediately jumped into a series of blows and blocks. It was good for releasing the pent up tension Hiei had been housing as of late and he knew he never had to hold back when it came to Yusuke. Sparring with the ex-detective was always challenging and thrilling in its own right. The other man was far too unpredictable, always keeping Hiei on his toes. By the time they were finished, he actually felt the burn of a good workout coursing through his muscles and his lungs. He trudged back into the cabin, the scent of something savory leading him to the kitchen. He paused when he spotted Botan all alone, test tasting a dish and smiling in satisfaction.

Amethyst eyes lit up upon seeing him.

"I'm making your favorite," she singsonged.

"You didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to."

He nodded his thanks, lingering where he stood as he watched her stir a pot. They were all alone now, perhaps she would finally tell him what was on her mind.

"There was something you wanted to say before," he mentioned.

Botan's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed with color. She looked so unsure and he couldn't tell why.

"What was it?" he urged.

Her gaze fell to the floor, brow creasing slightly as she contemplated saying what was on her mind. Her lips parted and just as the faintest sound began to make its way out, it was drowned out by the pot boiling over on the stove.

"Oh no!"

She lowered the heat, fretting over the other pots and pans. In the time that it had taken her to get a handle over the situation, the fox and the others returned inside. Hiei noticed the way her expression fell sullenly and he took a determined step closer to her.

"Woman."

"Lunch will be ready soon," she said dismissively as she turned her back to him. "I'll call you when it's finished."

His gaze lingered on her back, torn between staying or going. When it became apparently clear that she was set on avoiding him, he finally turned away. Hiei didn't know why a heavy feeling lingered in his chest or each step felt more weighted than the last. His confusion soon turned to frustration and he slammed the bathroom door shut with more force than necessary. Setting the water at a high temperature, he stepped into the shower and let out a sigh. The hot water served to relax his muscles, but did nothing to ease his turbulent mind. The ferry-girl was driving him crazy.

He was well aware that he was missing something important. He could always read her mind, but he had a feeling that she would be opposed to that.

Dismissing all further thought, he proceeded to clean and rinse himself off. He toweled himself dry, threw on a clean outfit and then determined to mach downstairs and get some well deserved answers from the ferry-girl. As he reentered the hallway, his ears picked up on the sound of the detective's woman in the other room.

"Poor Botan. She's been trying so hard to talk to Hiei, but something always comes up."

He froze.

The door was halfway opened and he saw the oaf's sister, the detective's woman and Yukina talking amongst themselves.

"I know," Shizuru said. "But don't count her out, I'm sure she will get it out eventually."

So, they were all privy to the truth behind his dilemma. He took another step closer, brow furrowed.

"Do you think we should help her out?" Keiko suggested.

"How would we do that?" Yukina asked.

"I don't know... maybe we can clear out for a while and give them some time alone?"

"Hm," Shizuru considered. "That could work. We'll have to see if she's willing, but-"

Hiei shook his head. Standing in the shadows and eavesdropping was unbecoming, so he rested a hand on the door knob and pushed it open fully.

"What are you all going on about?"

The trio looked over at him, eyes wide in surprise. They all wore matching expressions of guilt on their faces.

"What has the ferry-girl been trying to tell me?" he demanded to know.

He stared at Shizuru pointedly, though, from what he knew of her, she wouldn't crack under pressure. He then looked to Keiko. She barely interacted with to begin with, so he probably would not get very far with her. His eyes eventually settled on his sister.

"Yukina," he pressed.

She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, brother, it's not my place to say."

He sighed, but then Keiko spoke.

"It is important, though, so the next time she tries to say it, do us all a favor and _listen_."

Hiei grit his teeth in an attempt to avoid snapping. He had been listening; Botan was the one who kept refusing to continue. He couldn't very well remedy the situation when they all continued to talk around the issue at hand.

"If you know what she was going to say, then get to the point," Hiei demanded.

"You should really find her and ask her that for yourself," Shizuru instructed calmly. "But try to be a little more gentle and tactful when you do."

His hand balled into a fist as he shoved it in his pocket and turned around stiffly. Women, he scoffed, they seemed to be wholly incapable of ever giving him a direct answer to anything.

He descended down the stairs, immediately spotting Botan in the living room, chatting with the rest of them. He could feel the presence of the other women behind him - they had followed him down here - and he noticed the way that his arrival had captured the attention of fox, the ex-detective and the psychic, but he did not much care. All he saw was blue hair and bright eyes. When she looked at him, he could have sworn he saw longing reflected in her gaze.

"You wanted to tell me something," he began.

"I… yes," she admitted, taking a stand. "But not in front of everyone..."

"Ignore them," he insisted.

"I can't..." she said.

"Why not?"

"Because it's private and if you don't feel the same way, I won't know how to recover. I can't bear the thought of-"

She gasped, bringing her hand to cover her mouth. Hiei's eyes widened slightly, expression softening as he took in the gravity of her words. It was deathly silent and he could feel everyone's gazes on him - waiting to see how he would react. The thought occurred to him that he should probably do this private, but his legs were already carrying him to her, closing the distance between them. All this time she had been trying to tell him the one thing that he wanted to hear. He shouldn't have made her agonize over a confession that he gladly would have given to her. He shouldn't have made her wait at all.

"Botan," he began.

Her hands fell to her sides, a worried frown etched into her features. She needn't look so unsure.

"Hiei… I…"

His mind ran blank, the words failing him. He did not often dwell in hesitation or deliberation, much preferring action and, right now, the only way to tell her what was on his mind was to show her. He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers and savoring the feeling slowly and experimentally. It was not their first time, but it may as well have been, considering the way it set every bit of him on fire. Botan pressed against him eagerly, her hands finding her way to the short hairs at the nape of his neck. Her lips were soft and tentative, feather light and tantalizing in a way that he was not used to. Though he did not want to, he pulled away, eyes fixed on hers intently.

"I love you," he said simply. That really was all there was to it.

"Oh, Hiei, I love you, too," she confessed, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I have for a long time now.

Relief flooded through every part of him. He should have known that she did. Only she could love a man like him.

"I want you to be mine," he added, just in case it wasn't obvious enough already.

Amethyst eyes regarded him hopefully.

"The way it was in the other reality?"

"No," he said, with a firm shake of his head. "The way it should have been all along in this one."

She smiled at him and that alone was enough of a confirmation that she desired the same. He did not have enough time to process it, though, as the next thing he knew, Botan had pulled him back into her by the neck of his shirt and captured his lips with a fervor that he was not ready for.

His heart pounded in his chest, ears just barely picking up on the sounds of the other women as they broke into sounds of excitement and Yusuke as he slapped a hand to his face and groaned.

"Uh… I'm real happy for you guys, but you do know we're all still here, right?" he mentioned.

Hiei smirked into the kiss as the tension that usually resided in his body was slowly replaced by a warmth that filled his soul. Snaking an arm around Botan's waist in an effort to keep her as close as possible, he continued to commit the feel and shape of her mouth to memory.

"Please, contain yourselves." Kurama's voice reached his ears faintly.

Botan sighed pleasantly against him and Hiei took that opportunity to regain control once more, lips brushing feverishly against hers as he set a pace that would soon leave them both breathless.

"Oh, come on, guys, get a room!" Kuwabara pleaded. "All I hear are lips smacking!"

Botan pulled away, cheeks flushed.

"Goodness, will you boys please pipe down?" she admonished.

"Go get freaky elsewhere, reaper, we're trying to keep our last meal down," Yusuke teased, an amused glint in his eyes as he waved her off.

"Fine," she said, grabbing his hand. "Come on, Hiei!"

The girls all grinned proudly as they passed them by and proceeded up the stairs. In the past, he would have had an issue with just how involved the others were in his personal affairs, but he couldn't find it within himself to care much now. Not when he had everything he ever wanted beside him.

Botan slid her hand into his, giving it a soft squeeze. She smiled at him and his expression relaxed.

He had never much felt like he belonged anywhere, but when she looked at him like that, he knew that he was home.

* * *

The End!

I want to thank you all so much for seeing this fic through to its conclusion. It's been a pleasure writing for and interacting with every one of you. I may post an Epilogue for Home in the future. I've got a few ideas brewing in the back of my mind, but as of now, this story is officially finished.

I hope you all enjoyed the ride. I know I sure did!


	26. Chapter 26

_Epilogue_

* * *

Koenma fidgeted under the weight of Hiei's hard stare as tension ran through his shoulders and curled his fingers into his palm.

Affairs had been relatively calm with the passing of the seasons: the Spirit World was making strides in its attempts to maintain balance between all worlds, there hadn't been any major threats as of late and there were no foreseeable dangers looming on the horizon. Things were going well - too well perhaps - and maybe that was what brought Hiei here today. Perhaps the fates were working to correct this unprecedented era of peace and the fire-demon was simply the messenger bearing news that would throw everyone into a state of chaos.

The raven-haired man crossed his arms over his chest, his usual look of indifference replaced with a severity that pulled at his features, and Koenma forced himself to maintain eye-contact as he leaned forward in his oversized chair.

"To what do I owe this unannounced visit?" the prince asked finally.

Hiei's response was instant and unwavering.

"I want to marry Botan."

Koenma's jaw dropped, the mafukan nearly slipping from its perch between his lips. He certainly wasn't expecting to hear that declaration tumbling out of Hiei's mouth and he was at a loss for words. He took a moment to clear his throat and straighten his posture before answering.

"Uh, you do?"

Hiei nodded wordlessly.

"That's good news, isn't it?" Koenma replied, unsure of why the fire-demon needed to look so menacing all the time.

"You and I both know that when it comes to us, things are never that simple. That is why I have come to you first."

Ah, so he had a few demands. Koenma supposed he could hear him out.

"I'm listening."

"You will grant Botan permission to live in the demon world with me," Hiei instructed.

"In the fortress?" Koenma replied, brow raised in suspicion. "I doubt that's the best place for-"

"I've already found a suitable home within Mukuro's territory," Hiei cut in. "But I'm not finished."

Once again, Koenma was surprised by his former ally's uncharacteristic announcement. Planning ahead certainly wasn't Hiei's style, but perhaps he was finally starting to shed some of his stubborn rashness.

"I'm all ears," Koenma said, encouraging the other man to continue with a nod of his head.

"She should have the choice of upholding her current duties, if that is what she wishes," Hiei continued.

"Of course."

"And if she wants to be done with this world, you will allow her to move on."

The thought did not settle well with Koenma at all, but he nodded anyway. While the other inhabitants of the Spirit World did not require much outside of their duties, Botan had changed. Her time with humans and demons alike exposed her to a life far different from the one she was accustomed to. She began to long for the things that no other spirit wanted and she had even fallen in love. Koenma couldn't fault her for desiring an existence separate from her responsibilities as a ferry-girl.

"Agreed."

"...Above all else, this shouldn't cause any problems for her," the fire-demon warned firmly.

"I don't want that, either," Koenma admitted. "And it goes without saying that I'll do what I can to avoid any backlash."

Some of the stiffness in Hiei's shoulders faded a bit as he uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his sides.

"Then we are in agreement," he concluded.

"It appears we are," Koenma decided, his expression easing up. "This is a first."

"Hn."

Silence fell between the two, but the Spirit World was always in constant state of unrest and uproar. Koenma's intercom beeped insistently - as it always did - and he pointedly ignored it in lieu of getting lost in his own thoughts. It wasn't every day that a reformed criminal, staunch ally and prominent figure in one of the three King's territories asked for a ferry-girl's hand in marriage. And not just any ferry-girl, Botan was the best of the best, the cream of the crop. For as long as he could remember, she had always held a special place in his heart as one of his biggest supporters and dearest friends. It would be hard to let her go, but this was a small price to pay for her happiness. Koenma's expression softened into a smile as he looked up at the other man.

"Well, allow me to be the first to say congratulations," the prince offered.

Sharp eyes pinned him with a skeptical look.

"I haven't asked her yet," Hiei revealed.

"It's no mystery what her answer will be," Koenma countered.

Crimson eyes dithered low and in that brief moment, the ruler had seen all he needed to.

"She'll happily accept," he reassured. "She's in this for the long run."

"I'm well aware," Hiei replied, averting his gaze to the tray of cold squid on a stick. "I don't need you to remind me of that."

Koenma shrugged. So much for trying to be helpful. He expected Hiei to stalk off in that angry way of his, but the fire-demon remained rooted to the spot in which he stood. An awkward silence swept over them, prompting the prince to arch a brow.

"Is there something else you wanted to say, Hiei?"

The raven-haired man's jaw tightened as he ground his teeth together. He seemed to be working himself up for something, though Koenma could not tell what that was. When Hiei eventually lifted his gaze again, there was a sincerity in his crimson eyes and a begrudging respect in his tone that Koenma was not used to.

"Perhaps you aren't as insufferable as the inhabitants of your world," he forced out. "And for that, you have my thanks."

Koenma blinked twice and then the fire-demon was gone, leaving behind nothing but a gust of displaced air and the rustling of papers in his wake.

The prince rubbed a hand at his chin as his lips puckered into a frown. It was too bad that Hiei left in such a hurry. Koenma didn't even get the chance to pull the big brother routine. The good old, ' _if you make her cry, I'll_ -'

' _Save your false bravado for another occasion_ ,' Hiei's cold voice cut in, sending chills down his spine. ' _I have no intentions of allowing that to happen_.'

Koenma yelped.

* * *

Botan sat underneath the shade of a maple tree. Golden sunlight filtered through the branches and warmed the earth around her as a cool breeze shook the burnt orange and red leaves. The ferry-girl watched absentmindedly as one fell to the ground in a slow and lazy arch.

Kaisei and Fubuki were stretching a few feet away in preparation for their mock battle with Hiei. These training sessions had become a regular occurrence lately and she appreciated the fact that the fire-demon took the time out of his busy schedule to ensure that the siblings were advancing the way they should.

The teens themselves had grown a few inches taller since their very first case all those months ago. The roundness of their cheeks was lost, but they retained that mischief filled sparkle in their eyes as they charged forward fearlessly.

Botan attempted to watch the three fighters as their movements blurred and became too fast for her untrained eye to see. The siblings loved to get under Hiei's skin whenever they could and this was the only time the fire-demon could pay them back in full. Her expression softened considerably when she spotted his afterimage smirk at the teens before dissipating into thin air. Though he appeared to be no different than usual, there was a slight change in his countenance lately that Botan could not ignore. Something was on his mind, but he continued to push forward as though nothing was wrong.

As far as Botan could tell, their relationship was progressing swimmingly. They hadn't fought in quite a while. And they had even taken to discussing their future. She remembered how surprised she was when Hiei suddenly asked her opinion on relocating to Makai one day. It had caught her off guard, but her answer required little to no deliberation on her part. Hiei established a life there and Botan was quickly growing accustomed to the land. If he wanted to be with her in that way, then she would gladly accept.

Just the thought of living together under one roof again was enough to make her grin. She recalled those days spent in the other reality with fondness and longing, but she had no intentions of rushing things. The simple fact that Hiei wanted the same thing eventually was more than enough. There was no need to be impatient or get ahead of herself.

Taking a stand, she dusted her kimono off and walked over to where the trio was. By the looks of things, their mock battle was over. Both Kaisei and Fubuki were sprawled out on the ground, exhausted smiles on their faces as Hiei towered over them victoriously. She could hear the fire-demon giving them some final tips and pointers as she approached.

"How did my star detectives do?" Botan asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Still too lax," Hiei answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced down at the siblings. "But better than when they first started."

The teens grinned as they caught their breath and stood on tired legs.

"Yuuto's been helping us hone a few new attacks," Kaisei revealed.

"Yeah, he's been such a big help," Fubuki added, a familiar sparkle lighting her brown eyes.

Both Hiei and Kaisei exchanged looks of disgust while Botan giggled. She found nothing wrong with Fubuki's harmless crush on the psychic, but the other two clearly felt otherwise.

"Anyway," Kaisei cut in, glaring at his sister pointedly. "If miss lovesick is finished daydreaming, we've got tons of homework to finish and dinner to prepare."

Fubuki snapped out of her reverie and punched his arm.

"I wasn't daydreaming!" she denied.

"You definitely were!"

Botan set her hands on her hips, shaking her head as the spirit detectives continued to squabble. They reminded her of Yusuke and Kuwabara when they behaved like this and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright, you two," the ferry-girl interrupted, drawing their attention away from each other and onto her. "It's getting late and I'm sure your parents are waiting for you. I'll contact you if anything comes up."

"Okay," Kaisei nodded.

"Get home safely," the ferry-girl urged.

"We will!" they responded in unison, waving goodbye as they headed off.

Botan waited until they were out of sight before casting a playful smile in Hiei's direction.

"Where to? My place or yours?"

"Mine," he said without hesitation.

The ferry-girl bit her lip worriedly. Hiei usually preferred to stay at Mukuro's when something was weighing heavily on his mind. It was a telltale sign of his that indicated just how significant his troubles were and she could no longer afford to go on pretending that she did not notice the distinct change in him. Maybe now that they were alone, he would finally come out with it.

"Hiei... wait," she called out.

The fire-demon halted in his tracks, shoulders tense and stiff as he turned around to view her.

"Is everything alright?" Botan questioned, taking a step closer.

"Why do you ask?" he deflected, a brief flicker of something indeterminable running through his red eyes.

"Because I'd like to think I know you well enough by now to determine when something is wrong," she replied, lacing her arms around his neck.

Hiei brought his hands up to settle on her hips instinctually, his posture less tense but expression still as guarded as he averted his gaze.

"It's nothing for you to be concerned about," he dismissed. "Fortress affairs."

Botan's expression softened as she took in the sight of his slanted frown and furrowed brows.

"Maybe a little pillow talk will get you to spill?" she teased in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He quirked a brow at her, pulling her closer.

"Are you trying to seduce me, ferry-girl?"

"That depends. Is it working?"

"It's unnecessary," he answered. "Unlike you and the rest of your world, I don't need to discuss my _feelings_ every minute of every hour."

Botan pouted, releasing him in favor of folding her arms over her chest. So much for being a caring and attentive partner.

"You're the worst, you know that?" she insulted, turning away from him.

"I'm well aware."

"And you're lucky I put up with you," she added for good measure.

"I know that, too," he admitted.

Botan glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, her haughty stance deflating a bit. She had always found him to be beautiful but he was something else entirely right now with the last rays of a burning red sun shading his hair and lighting his crimson eyes. There was an earthy glow cast over his skin, sharpening his features in a way that made it hard to look away. The last of her anger faded away quickly - her ire was always short-lived when it came to Hiei.

He had given her so much. He had gone out of his way for her time and time again. All she wanted to do was be there for him in the ways he had been for her. If only he would stop being so _difficult_.

"I understand that you're not too keen on saying what's in your heart, but something is on your mind," the bluette maintained. "You can let me in, you know..."

"You're the only one I do," he replied. The intensity of his eyes as they bore into her own made her heart skip a beat. "And when the situation warrants it, I will."

"You promise?" she pressed.

He nodded wordlessly and Botan relented. She slipped her hand into his and smiled as he closed his fist around hers.

"I'll hold you to that, mister," she promised, as he began to lead them away.

The two carried on in silence as signs of night began to creep in and the temperature lowered in turn. A splattering of stars was visible ahead, along with the rising of a waxing moon. When a particularly cool breeze wrapped around them, Hiei raised his energy in response. Swathes of warmth washed over the ferry-girl as the fire-demon's energy settled her in ways that nothing else could and she let out a contended sigh. All was still and calm until a thought occurred to her and prompted her to break the fleeting silence.

"Oh, by the way, we're all meeting up at Genkai's in a few days to celebrate Shizuru's promotion," Botan announced, turning to face him. "Do you think you can stop by?"

Hiei paused, brow furrowing slightly in the way it did when he was contemplating something. Eventually, he nodded his consent.

"I should be able to."

"I was hoping you would!" she gushed. "It's been a while since we all got together."

"It hasn't been nearly long enough," he grumbled under his breath.

"You say that, but I'm sure you missed everyone deep, deep down."

"I don't miss anyone."

"Not even yours truly?" she pouted, pointing at herself with a shrewd grin.

He avoided her gaze and she giggled at how easy he was to read when it was just the two of them. Leaning in, she planted a kiss on his cheek and squeezed his hand comfortingly.

She wouldn't change a single thing in this perfect moment.

* * *

"It's perfect!" Haru exclaimed.

Hiei entered the fortress wordlessly, Haru practically vibrating with excitement at his side.

They had just returned from procuring a suitable ring from a jeweler that Haru recommended and the emotion-reader was bursting at the seams as he held the gold band between his thumb and forefinger triumphantly.

"Botan's gonna love it."

That was the plan, Hiei thought to himself as he stifled a yawn. He wanted nothing more than to retire to his room, but he promised that he would stop by the old woman's temple today. He sighed. Sleep had been elusive as of late. To top it all off, he'd been busier than usual in the past few days, but it was well worth it considering his end goal. Everything was falling into place: Mukuro gave him her blessing in her own, roundabout way, Koenma agreed to his terms easily, and Hiei finally signed the last of the paperwork granting him ownership of a house that he knew the ferry-girl would be taken with. Now all that was left was to pose the question that had been on his mind for longer than he was willing to admit.

"I never would've guessed that you'd settle down before me," Haru teased as he handed the ring back. "It's kinda surreal."

The fire-demon grunted in response as he pocketed it carefully. The band cost more than he thought it would and he was already low on funds after purchasing the house and land surrounding it. Losing it was not an option.

"How do you feel?" Haru probed, nudging him with his elbow.

"No different than usual."

"You're not nervous?" he asked, squinting down at Hiei suspiciously. "Not even a little bit?"

"No," Hiei lied.

"Well, I guess you've got no reason to be," Haru agreed, clasping his hands behind his head with a blinding smile. "We all know how this proposal will end."

Hiei tore his gaze away from the knowing glint housed in the other man's green eyes. Everyone was so sure that Botan would accept - that she would easily commence a new life with him – but Hiei found himself increasingly uneasy as the day drew near. There were still many things he was lacking; there was so much he could not give her. There was a chance that she would not want the same things as him and the culmination of those doubts were beginning to mess with his head.

But he could not afford to hesitate now. This was what he wanted and he would be damned if he let something as flimsy as his own uncertainties hinder him.

They continued ahead in silence, save for Haru greeting the soldiers that passed them by. The scent of death and decay swirled in the air as weapons clashed and clanked in the distance. The fortress was always in a constant state of unrest, but it suited him. He had considered these dark halls and macabre walls to be his idea of home and the fact that he would soon be leaving this place for another dwelling was finally settling in.

Crimson eyes glanced around at the appendage-adorned walls, taking in the grotesque sights before looking ahead. The fortress was everything he needed it to be, but it had fulfilled its purpose. He was ready for the next phase of his life and he held no regrets. Besides, it wasn't as if he wouldn't be back regularly.

"So, when exactly are you gonna pop the question?" Haru asked.

"Tomorrow night."

"Ooh, any reason in particular?"

"…"

"Your silence is super suspicious," the emotion-reader sing-songed.

"And your voice is extremely annoying."

Haru grinned harder, not at all insulted by Hiei's harsh words or tone.

"Is it the anniversary of your first date?" he guessed.

Hiei remained taciturn, lips pressed into an unyielding line.

"The first time you kissed?"

"..."

"The first time you said I love you?"

"..."

"Aha, I've got it!" Haru said, with a snap of his finger. "It's the first time you guys consummated your love, isn't it?"

Crimson eyes narrowed icily and the emotion-reader raised his hands in defense.

"I wouldn't have to guess aimlessly if you'd just come out with it and tell me!" he pointed out through a nervous chuckle.

"You wouldn't have to guess at all if you minded your own affairs and stopped meddling," Hiei growled.

Haru shook his head in exasperation.

"Are you at least gonna let me in on the big plan? I need to be sure that you're not going to blurt it out casually like you're asking about the weather."

Hiei glared up at the other man.

"I'm not that inept."

"I'd hope not," Haru snorted.

"Don't you have a meeting to attend?" the fire-demon snarled.

Haru flinched, green eyes wide in alarm as the realization settled in.

"Oh crap, you're right!"

Hiei rolled his eyes as the emotion-reader hurried on ahead.

"I'll be around if you need me!" he reminded as he rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.

When the sounds of Haru's footsteps were faraway echoes, Hiei pulled the ring out once more. It wasn't anything grand or extraordinary, but he knew that the ferry-girl would cherish it regardless. As much as she gushed over clothing and fashion, she had never much cared for flashy or gaudy accessories. She found beauty in simplicity. And if she was able to find value in a man like him, then this ring would surely be enough.

Closing his hand into a fist and pocketing it again, Hiei set off towards the old woman's temple. The gathering was already in full swing by the time he arrived and a vast array of food was laid out on a few of outdoor tables, courtesy of Yusuke and Yukina. The humans were all donned in layers and sweaters, choosing to stay outside to chase the last remnants of warmth before it was lost to them entirely.

"You made it!" Botan beamed as she flounced over to him.

"I told you I would," Hiei reminded her.

"I know," she said, smiling as she pressed her lips against his. The fire-demon took in her sweet scent for a moment, resisting the urge to frown as she pulled away. "I can only stay for a short while, so I'm glad that you decided to come sooner rather than later."

He nodded wordlessly as the ferry-girl looked around.

"Where's Haru?"

"Meeting with Mukuro's council."

"Aw poo… Yukina went through all the trouble of making his favorite desserts, too!" she lamented, before looking back at him through rounded amethyst eyes. "Maybe you can bring some back for him?"

Hiei shoved his hands in his pockets, ignoring the ring as it brushed against his fingers.

"I'd rather not."

"Fine, fine, I'll set some aside for him," she amended, looping her arm with his. "Come on, there's plenty to eat."

The ferry-girl led him to the table, where he was immediately harassed by the Sato siblings and then soon joined by the rest of the group. He had managed to avoid any bloodshed despite how off kilter he felt, keeping mostly to himself and limiting his interaction to the woman, Yukina and the fox.

As he stood off to the side and finished the rest of his drink, he took a moment to observe everyone. Botan was currently chatting with the women near the koi pond, the devious grin on her face sign enough that they were exchanging secrets or gossip or a mixture of the two. Kaisei and Fubuki were busy pestering Yusuke and Hiei was grateful for the brief respite. The oaf and the fox were engaged in conversation with Genkai while Puu flew overhead leisurely. It was an objectively bearable get together and he should have appreciated it for what it was, but he remained uneasy.

The weight of the ring felt far too heavy in his pocket. He wanted nothing more than to get this damned proposal over with, but this was not the time or the place. Even a man as unromantic as him knew that Botan deserved better.

So he reigned himself in, forcing the small bit of patience he possessed to drown out his impulsive nature as his bid his time.

He was doing fairly well until an arm slung over his shoulder and pulled him aside.

"You look like you're ready to murder someone," Yusuke noted.

" _Shishou_ always looks like that!" Kaisei teased.

"I told you to stop calling me that," Hiei growled.

"But you're practically our master, right Fu?" he asked, nudging his sister with a grin.

She nodded.

"Our one and only!" she chirped in agreement as she reached for another baked treat.

Hiei rolled his eyes as Yusuke released him with a hearty chuckle.

"No point in arguing with those brats," he said. "It's a sure-fire way to go gray early."

The teens grinned proudly at that while Yusuke cocked his thumb towards the sake.

"Wanna go a few rounds?" he asked.

Hiei frowned as he set his empty glass down. The last thing he needed was to get drunk and accidentally reveal his plans to everyone.

"I'll pass."

"Aw, c'mon, Kuwabara's a lightweight-"

"Am not!" the psychic hollered from a few feet away.

"-and Kurama's being all _responsible_."

"-Somebody has to be," the fox interjected.

"So, you see, I'm all out of options and you're hilarious when you're drunk," Yusuke reasoned. "It's no fun drinking alone, so what do you say?"

"I already declined," Hiei stated. "Don't make me repeat myself."

"But-"

"-I'd be willing to take you up on that offer," Shizuru interjected, leaning a hand on the table and strumming her fingers against it. "If you don't mind losing, that is."

Yusuke blanched. Everyone knew that the oaf's sister had a strong tolerance for alcohol and could out drink most demons on her worse days. Sometimes Hiei wondered if she was just a mere human and not a hybrid mix like the ex-detective or an apparition in a human's body, like the fox. Whatever the case, she had distracted Yusuke long enough for him to slip away and refocus his attentions on the familiar energy drawing near.

"It's time for this little kitten to bow out," Botan announced a little regretfully. "Do you still want me to stop by tomorrow?"

He nodded.

"I'm counting on it, woman."

The ferry-girl lit up, amethyst eyes bright as a smile played on her lips.

"Alright, it's a date then."

She leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips, mouth lifting into a knowing smile as Hiei pulled her back in for a proper sendoff. He heard Yusuke wolf-whistling and Kuwabara groaning in the background, but he ignored them all as he kissed his woman to his heart's content. Everything would change tomorrow, depending on her answer, so no one could blame him for wanting to savor what they had right now.

Botan pulled away, a dreamy look in her candy colored eyes and a flush on her cheeks.

"Well, I'll see you soon," she said a little breathlessly.

He nodded, ignoring the way his fingers twitched to hold her once more.

As she left, that pesky ache that resided in his chest when she wasn't around grew. He wanted her more than he should have. He needed her more than he thought he would ever come to need anyone. And yet, he knew that he hadn't reached the extent of his affections. If he were a more cautious man, he would have guarded himself from such overpowering emotions. But Hiei had thrown caution to the wind the moment he decided that he wanted to make the ferry-girl his and he hadn't regretted it a single day since then.

The sharp scent of smoke and perfume quickly distracted him from such sentimentality as Shizuru stood beside him.

"So, tomorrow's the big day..."

He grunted in acknowledgment.

Tomorrow would be exactly a year from the day he made his confession to Botan at the cabin. It was the day he took matters into his own hands and forged his way towards an uncertain path. He was once again ready to take the dive into newer waters and he found no point in delaying the inevitable or denying himself. Botan was all he needed for a long time now and he did not want to pretend otherwise.

Yukina approached them, an excited gleam in her ruby eyes as she exchanged a knowing look with Shizuru. They were the only ones - aside from the fox - that he trusted to keep this secret.

"Are you ready?" the ice-maiden asked gently.

Hiei glanced up at the orange sky, letting out the breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. Shoving his hands into his pockets and fingering the gold band, he nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Botan hummed to herself as she made her way through the fortress. She greeted a few soldiers on her way to Hiei's bedroom, smiling and waving at the ones she had gotten closer to in the past year, before heading over to Hiei's quarters.

She pushed the door open, her smile dropping when she was greeted with an empty room.

"Hm, he must still be out on patrol..." she muttered to herself as she turned around.

"Hey pretty lady."

Haru stood on the opposite end of the hallway, arms folded over his chest and a grin plastered over his expression.

"Hello to you, too!"

"Looking for lover boy?" he asked.

"Yes, he told me to meet him here, but I suppose he got hung up."

"I think I can help you out," Haru offered with a beckoning wave. "Follow me."

The emotion-reader was uncharacteristically quiet as he led her out of the fortress and on a path she had never ventured through before.

"If Hiei's busy, I can always wait for him at the fortress," Botan tried. "I wouldn't want to interrupt..."

"Nah, it's no trouble," Haru reassured. "He's expecting you, after all."

"Alright," she conceded with a nod as she followed after the emotion-reader.

Today marked her one-year anniversary with Hiei. Not much had changed between them, aside from the physical affection that a romantic relationship brought about. They had been acting like a couple for so long in that other reality that it had become second nature to them in this one. Still, it never felt drab or routine. Hiei continued to find new ways to make her heart yearn for his and she found herself falling deeper in love with him each day. She wouldn't change a single thing about him, nor would she ever need more than what they shared.

"Welcome to the Valley of Solitude," Haru announced, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Hope you enjoy your stay."

He saluted her with a wide grin and Botan tilted her head in confusion as she watched him retreat. Something strange was going on, but as she turned towards the clearing before her, all other thoughts dispersed.

The moon was pale and full against the backdrop of the star-studded sky. Cosmos blossomed all around her, glowing a celestial white. And in the center of all of that beauty stood Hiei.

He looked at her, red eyes intense and sharp, and everything else fell away. She didn't even know which one of them crossed the distance between them, but as he took her hand and the warmth of his skin heated hers, she realized that it did not matter. Her heart raced as she held his gaze, a mixture of anticipation and nervous excitement coursing through her veins.

"I know you prefer to do things the human way," Hiei began as he reached his free hand into the folds of his pocket.

Botan inhaled a sharply, mouth falling open in surprise as he revealed a simple golden band.

"Hiei..."

"I want you to be mine forever, Botan," he declared. "I don't care if it's the demon or human or spirit way, so long as you say you'll stay with me."

Tears sprang to her eyes, bottom lip quivering as he continued.

"Will you?" he asked. "Will you commit to me forever?"

She blinked back the tears and nodded emphatically.

"Yes," she answered through a shaky breath. "There's nothing I want more."

It felt like a dream as Hiei slid the ring on her finger, but then his lips were on hers, hot and insistent, and far too _real_ to be a figment of her imagination. He held her close and she melted into the firm outline of his body as her eyes fluttered closed. The kiss was slow and unhurried, seeming to last an eternity, but in all actuality was probably only a handful of stretched out seconds. Hiei pulled away first, his hands still on her hips as a quiet sigh escaped from his parted lips. For all of his confidence, it appeared as though even he had moments of doubt. But he had absolutely nothing to worry about - not when they both clearly wanted the same thing. She kissed him again and again and again, until she felt his mouth tilt upwards and the tension drain from his shoulders. He seemed to be much more relaxed as they pulled apart for a second time and she smiled in glee. Hiei wanted her forever. He really loved her that much.

"Hey," she said lightly as she wound her arms around his neck. "Does this mean you're okay with having a wedding?"

He bit back a grimace and nodded.

"If that is what you want."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You just keep surprising me, Hiei," she said softly as she ran her fingers through his dark locks. "I never thought I would find love, much less get married or have a wedding."

"Neither did I," he said unironically.

Botan giggled and kissed him again for good measure.

"I'll make sure it's a short and intimate affair," she promised. "I wouldn't want to torture you on your own day."

"Hn."

Her expression fell slightly, gaze averting as her lips slanted downwards.

"I just hope this won't cause any problems down the line, especially not for you."

Hiei frowned.

"I don't care about what anyone else thinks."

"I know," she soothed. "But you're a pretty important figure in Mukuro's camp and the Spirit World still holds onto its many prejudices... it might be a bit difficult for everyone to wrap their minds around, is all."

"Mukuro won't be an issue," he revealed. "And Koenma has already approved."

"You mean you actually received Lord Koenma's permission?" she questioned, brows lifting in surprise.

"I told him of my intentions," he corrected. "He didn't object. You will be free to continue your work or cease entirely. I made sure the decision was left in your hands."

Amethyst eyes widened, but the fire-demon wasn't finished.

"I've found a place for us as well. Here in Makai."

She blinked.

"You really did all of that for me?" she asked. "For us?"

Hiei nodded.

"I wanted you to know that I was serious. That this was a sure thing."

"Oh Hiei..." she said softly. "I already knew that from the moment you asked me to be yours."

"And now it's official," he said, the ghost of a smirk on his lips and in his eyes. "You're stuck with me, woman."

She nodded, words failing her as she buried her face in the crook of his neck and hugged him tightly. As she breathed in his scent and felt his heart beating against hers, the tears flowed freely and unbidden.

"Are you crying, ferry-girl?" he asked, his hand settling on the small of her back. There was a hint of teasing in his voice as he called her by her tried and true moniker.

Botan pulled away and shook her head, wiping the evidence away.

"Hn," he grunted as he thumbed the trails on her cheeks. There was a soft and serious look in his crimson eyes, his tone so far from that cutting voice that he was always using. "This is no time for tears."

"I know," she agreed with a sheepish smile.

"Besides... I gave the prince my word that I wouldn't make you cry," he mentioned quietly. "And I don't intend on breaking that promise."

She blinked away the last of her tears, pure joy overtaking her expression.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she mused.

He smirked.

"I suppose helping to save the world time and time again might have something to do with it."

Botan let out an amused laughed as warmth filled the entirety of her being. She could hardly believe the fact that they had come this far. Her expression fell into something more sincere and tender as her gaze softened.

"I love you."

He kissed her in response, his actions more telling than a few words could have ever been. Hiei always had a way of surprising her, of going above and beyond her expectations, and the thought that this was just the beginning of it all had her heart soaring.

She glanced down at her ring and smiled.

Botan knew that a life with Hiei wouldn't be easy, but she knew that it would be worth it in the end. After all, in his presence, she had found love.

In his strength, she had found comfort.

And in his heart, she had found home.

* * *

The End

* * *

I do intend to post the sequel to this story eventually. It'll feature Hiei/Botan and Kai, along with Haru and our usual main cast. Be prepared to witness our favorite couple as they take the dive into parenthood and everything that comes with it.

Once again, I thank you all for sticking with this story until its conclusion. I hope you enjoyed reading the epilogue as much as I enjoyed writing it. See you all in the next fic!


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